--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: In football, you only work for the things…" description: "\"In football, you only work for the things you can control. You cannot control the outside world: you can only control your preparation; you can only co..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg" --- # In football, you only work for the things you can control… ![“In football, you only work for the things you can control. You cannot control the outside world: you can only control your preparation; you can only control your performances.” quote by Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg) > “In football, you only work for the things you can control. You cannot control the outside world: you can only control your preparation; you can only control your performances.” [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Focus on controllable aspects like preparation and performance, not external factors. **In simple terms:** Control what you can, ignore what you can't. Key Takeaway Prioritize preparation and effort. Themes self-discipline control focus Mood determined pragmatic Type motivational practical When to use this quote - sports training - career planning - personal development Key Concepts psychology agency performance management Questions to Reflect On - How can you improve your preparation? - What external factors can you mitigate? A Different Perspective External events can still impact outcomes despite preparation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Outside world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/outside-world/) [Preparation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/preparation/) [Things you can control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/things-you-can-control/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [“Control the things you can control, maggot. Let everything else take a flying fuck at you and if you must go down, go down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/control-the-things-you-can-control-maggot-let-everything-else-take-a/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [Control the things you can control. As for the rest - God bless it all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/control-the-things-you-can-control-as-for-the-rest-god-bless-it-all/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [I've learned from my time in this sport that you only worry about the things you can control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ryan-bader/i-ve-learned-from-my-time-in-this-sport-that-you-only-worry-about-the/) [Ryan Bader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ryan-bader/) > [Control the things you can control .](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-stosur/control-the-things-you-can-control/) [Samantha Stosur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-stosur/) > [There's only certain things you can control. I know how hard I work, I know how I take care of myself, and those are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-lester/there-s-only-certain-things-you-can-control-i-know-how-hard-i-work-i/) [Jon Lester](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-lester/) > [As cliche as it sounds, I've always told myself, 'Don't worry about the things you can't control. Control the things you can control.' That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-baldwin/as-cliche-as-it-sounds-i-ve-always-told-myself-don-t-worry-about-the/) [Doug Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-baldwin/) > [In this business, you have so little control over things, but one of the things you can control is who you work with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-tenney/in-this-business-you-have-so-little-control-over-things-but-one-of/) [Jon Tenney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-tenney/) > [Worry about the things you can control; the rest will either work themselves out, or they'll kill you. Either way, no more worries.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/worry-about-the-things-you-can-control-the-rest-will-either-work/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [I learned early on that there are certain things you can control in the press, and things you cannot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-travolta/i-learned-early-on-that-there-are-certain-things-you-can-control-in/) [John Travolta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-travolta/) > [Invest your energy in the things you can control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-backley/invest-your-energy-in-the-things-you-can-control/) [Steve Backley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-backley/) > [Don't worry about things you can't control, work on the things you can control and move on there more things you can handle just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adrian-rayshawn/don-t-worry-about-things-you-can-t-control-work-on-the-things-you-can/) [Adrian Rayshawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adrian-rayshawn/) > [We're always caught up in the, 'Just control the things that you can control,' and sometimes you can't control those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-herro/we-re-always-caught-up-in-the-just-control-the-things-that-you-can/) [Tyler Herro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-herro/) > [“When you feel like things are out of control, you take control. Yeah, that's what you do. Take control. So, yeah. Oh, yeah.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-lyga/when-you-feel-like-things-are-out-of-control-you-take-control-yeah/) [Barry Lyga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-lyga/) > [There are things we can control and the things we can't control. I can't control how people react to the work I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-hawley/there-are-things-we-can-control-and-the-things-we-can-t-control-i-can/) [Noah Hawley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-hawley/) > [I love to work in football, so for me it's not work. I'm not here first in the morning and last in the evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-farke/i-love-to-work-in-football-so-for-me-it-s-not-work-i-m-not-here-first/) [Daniel Farke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-farke/) ## More by Petr Cech > [True fans will appreciate what I've done and the legacy I've left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/true-fans-will-appreciate-what-i-ve-done-and-the-legacy-i-ve-left/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [I want to be playing, I want to have a chance to compete for my position in the team, and I want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/i-want-to-be-playing-i-want-to-have-a-chance-to-compete-for-my/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [When you make a mistake, you have to admit it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/when-you-make-a-mistake-you-have-to-admit-it/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [One day, if I feel the fear of putting my head in the middle of some battle or scrum, then I stop.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/one-day-if-i-feel-the-fear-of-putting-my-head-in-the-middle-of-some/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [You have to be consistent in your work, consistent in your performances, because, if not, then you might not have as many games as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/you-have-to-be-consistent-in-your-work-consistent-in-your/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [The connection between the Soviet Union and Czech people - or Czech politicians - was very big. It was like a model country for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/the-connection-between-the-soviet-union-and-czech-people-or-czech/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [I'm amazed people talk about my helmet - saying it makes me feel psychologically better. I would love to play without it, but I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/i-m-amazed-people-talk-about-my-helmet-saying-it-makes-me-feel/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [Who is the best goalkeeper in the world? It's always hard to choose because there are so many great goalkeepers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/who-is-the-best-goalkeeper-in-the-world-it-s-always-hard-to-choose/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [There are some people who have left me negative messages, but they aren't true Chelsea fans.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/there-are-some-people-who-have-left-me-negative-messages-but-they/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [Even if you have won it before, you just want to keep winning the Champions League. Every season, the ambition is to win the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/even-if-you-have-won-it-before-you-just-want-to-keep-winning-the/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [Money has never won anything. You can spend as much as you want, but you must build a team first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/money-has-never-won-anything-you-can-spend-as-much-as-you-want-but/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [I played tennis a lot when I had the skull injury. For the first two months of my preparation, it was all I could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/i-played-tennis-a-lot-when-i-had-the-skull-injury-for-the-first-two/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [As a goalkeeper, Van der Sar can do everything. He is very good at coming off his line, and he is also effective as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/as-a-goalkeeper-van-der-sar-can-do-everything-he-is-very-good-at/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [If a team concedes a goal, then the first question is always of the goalkeeper.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/if-a-team-concedes-a-goal-then-the-first-question-is-always-of-the/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) > [If you take the autobiographies of great sports people, they are almost always the same. They start with zero; they are always ambitious, know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/if-you-take-the-autobiographies-of-great-sports-people-they-are/) [Petr Cech](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) [Explore all 100 Petr Cech quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/) ## More Control quotes > [We have to get control of our borders.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-coffman/we-have-to-get-control-of-our-borders/) [Mike Coffman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-coffman/) > [Grit and self-control are related, but they're not the same thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-duckworth/grit-and-self-control-are-related-but-they-re-not-the-same-thing/) [Angela Duckworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-duckworth/) > [“You can't control who loves you...you can't let someone love you anymore than you can make someone love you”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-harmon/you-can-t-control-who-loves-you-you-can-t-let-someone-love-you/) [Amy Harmon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-harmon/) > [I thought I fought a really good Orlando Salido. I never let him get into his fight. I knew what I needed to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikey-garcia/i-thought-i-fought-a-really-good-orlando-salido-i-never-let-him-get/) [Mikey Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikey-garcia/) > [Don't think you can...know you can! You human body is the most impressive tool you'll ever own. Even if you can't control everything, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hardy/don-t-think-you-can-know-you-can-you-human-body-is-the-most/) [Jeff Hardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hardy/) > [If you have everything under control, you're not moving fast enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mario-andretti/if-you-have-everything-under-control-you-re-not-moving-fast-enough/) [Mario Andretti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mario-andretti/) > [“Without time management, you lose control of your life and do what other people tell you to do. You lose control and become a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-miller/without-time-management-you-lose-control-of-your-life-and-do-what/) Thomas Miller > [I started off as a model maker, so the first part of my career was a model maker and then a motion control camera…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-knoll/i-started-off-as-a-model-maker-so-the-first-part-of-my-career-was-a/) [John Knoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-knoll/) > [Many of us rely on our own illusion of control. But when God makes it known to you that you're not the one steering…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-mogahed/many-of-us-rely-on-our-own-illusion-of-control-but-when-god-makes-it/) [Yasmin Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-mogahed/) > [In Congress, Florida Republicans worked with the Trump administration to secure funding for coastal restoration projects following the devastating impacts of Hurricanes Irma and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-waltz/in-congress-florida-republicans-worked-with-the-trump-administration/) [Michael Waltz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-waltz/) > [“He who can destroy a thing has the real control of it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-herbert/he-who-can-destroy-a-thing-has-the-real-control-of-it/) [Frank Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-herbert/) > [Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying or getting overly angry or to maintain control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-haysbert/sometimes-you-have-to-laugh-to-keep-from-crying-or-getting-overly/) [Dennis Haysbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-haysbert/) > [My sister-in-law works for a group that supports orphanages in Cairo. She and her colleagues take care of children left behind by circumstances beyond…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-elbaradei/my-sister-in-law-works-for-a-group-that-supports-orphanages-in-cairo/) [Mohamed ElBaradei](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-elbaradei/) > [Some nights I'm funny with the between-song commentary, some nights I'm not. I have no control over this. I pace the stage a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-berman/some-nights-i-m-funny-with-the-between-song-commentary-some-nights-i/) [David Berman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-berman/) > [“Control never be a means to any practical end. It can never be a means to anything but more control… Like punk.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/control-never-be-a-means-to-any-practical-end-it-can-never-be-a-means/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) [Browse all 6,032 Control quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "In football, you only work for the things you can control. You cannot control the outside world: you can only control your preparation; you can only control your performances.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Petr Cech" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things-you-can-control-you-cannot/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Control" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things-you-can-control-you-cannot/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f02/petr-cech-5436_control_in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things_1401408.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“In football, you only work for the things you can control. You cannot control the outside world: you can…” — Petr Cech", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Petr Cech", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petr-cech/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "In football, you only work for...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things-you-can-control-you-cannot/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petr-cech/in-football-you-only-work-for-the-things-you-can-control-you-cannot/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```