Objectives This research paper is the conclusion of the considerations that have emerged as a result of research conducted since 2018. The relationships related to the control of emotions and professional burnout in athletes were investigated on the example of footballers. The study involved men in the age of emerging adulthood (19-30 years old), most of them come from the areas of eastern Poland. Ultimately, the responses of 420 men were taken into account. This work is both theoretical and practical, due to the practical implications added to the article. The research results may contribute to the discussion on the definition and functioning of people professionally involved in sport. Material and methods In order to obtain data on the planned research, an author’s questionnaire, Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), CECS Emotional Control Questionnaire by M. Watson and S. Greer, scale adapted by Z. Juszczyński was used. Additionally, the second part of the study was conducted in the form of structured interviews in order to obtain more detailed information. Results The most important relationships identified on the basis of this study: the higher the level of subjectively perceivedemotionalcontrol in athletes on the example of footballers, the greater the sense of professional achievement and the lower the sense of emotionalexhaustion and depersonalization. Conclusions Important issues for the respondents, which results from structured interviews, are biological regeneration, contact with a trainer, a group of colleagues, a psychologist or pay ingattention to coping with stress, experiencing failure sorinjuries. Also importantis the possibility of career advancement, raise the prestige of their work and appreciation.