Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
Swearing's my release. It's the one weapon I have to defend myself against destiny when it elects to strike without pity.
I was lucky enough to play for the top three Italian clubs during the golden era of Italian football, so I have no regrets.
Do I regret leaving Milan? I decided I needed a change. I needed to find new ideas, and that was the best thing for both parties.
If you look after yourself and are willing to adapt - there is no reason why you can't play at the top level until your late 30s.
When I was a kid, I'd take a small foam ball and try to get my shot over the couch so it would finish in the corner of the window.
I am extremely lucky - I met Antonio Conte. I had so many coaches to compare him to, and he is the one that surprised me the most.
One part of my job I'll never learn to love is the pre-match warm-up. I hate it with every fibre of my being. It actually disgusts me.
When there is a solid base of Italian players, those who come in take their example, and then everyone is working in the same direction.
Pogba has never stopped improving. He has everything to become a great player. If he keeps his head on his shoulders, he can make history.
For many years, Messi and Ronaldo will be the two best. After them, there is Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and others. I hope to be in the top ten.
There are so many different factors - luck, being in good shape when it matters, the draw. For these reasons, it's hard to win a European Cup.
I spent the afternoon of Sunday 9 July, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.
There were times we were kept in our dressing room until late at night because it wasn't safe to go home. Our bus would get attacked, the tires slit.
It's clear that anyone who plays in Belgium or another league with less quality still has a chance of making the Champions League or the Europa League.
Messi is always compared to Maradona, but he needs to win the World Cup because if you don't win the World Cup, you can't be up there with the very best.
There are always lessons to be found in the darkest moments. It's a moral obligation to dig deep and find that little glimmer of hope or pearl of wisdom.
Right from the moment I arrived at Juve, I could immediately sense the club's will to win, the determination to go as far as possible as quickly as possible.
It's the best thing that can happen to a player. Being able to play at the World Cup is already the best, but then to raise the trophy to the sky is a dream.
I have always said that it is fundamental to have a strong core of Italian players in a club squad. At AC Milan, we had that and we won. The same at Juventus.
I want to be successful in playing the game. I'm going to do my best to help myself and my teammates play in the best possible way and reach successful results.
I've learned lots, obviously - the first thing being never to forget to be grateful. The second is not to bear grudges, because in football, luck does not exist.
The secret for someone in my position is to keep it simple. Keep possession and keep the ball moving quickly so that you tire out your opponents; that's my method.
I used to watch Juninho's free-kicks without being able to figure out how he hit them. I tried and tried until, eventually, I came up with my own way to strike them.
I do not have a Facebook page, and I do not chat on Twitter. I don't have a web site, even if there are people who have opened one in my name, complete with my photo.
Top European clubs are always progressing with what they can do off the field. Training is getting more scientific, and we are constantly getting more educated on nutrition.
To be useful in defence, to win back the ball, you don't always have to go sliding into the tackle. It's also about your positioning; sometimes all you have to do is take a step back.
I stick to a Mediterranean diet with fresh produce and olive oil. On a normal day, my diet is divided into the three main meals. I don't eat any other snack between meals during the day.
I never had any doubts. I wanted MLS. I'd followed it on TV, and I liked it. And being able to play in New York did the rest. I don't know if I would have accepted an offer from any other city.
Yes, many times an assist is more difficult than a goal; you need to find the right space and measure the force used in order to provide your teammate with the right position in order to score.
I'd have signed for Real in a heartbeat. They're a club with more glamour than Milan; more prospects, more appeal, more everything. They strike fear in their opponents, whoever they happen to be.
I played with Baggio when I was young. I grew up with his myth, and to actually play with him was like being in a dream. I tried to hang out with him, to study how he played and to learn from him.
I don’t feel pressure. I don’t give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, July 9, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.
Before every match, I eat pasta with tomato and chicken breast a few hours beforehand. In the hottest months, I choose to drink an energy drink before the match, too, but normally, I drink just water.
Since I was a child, I watched tapes of Baggio, Zico, and Maradona, and then I tried to replicate them just playing on my own against the wall. Certainly it's talent, but you have to cultivate that talent.
I still have a thorn in my side at not having played for Real Madrid or Barcelona, because playing there is a dream for every player. But I consider myself very satisfied to have played for the best teams in Italy.
All I'm after is a few square metres to be myself. A space where I can continue to profess my creed: take the ball, give it to a team-mate, my team-mate scores. It's called an assist, and it's my way of spreading happiness.
You can be lucky for a few years, but in the end, your defects will emerge. The reality is different. People are watching you, and those who know how to play will progress, while those who don't will remain in the lower levels.
Scoring from a dead-ball brings me massive satisfaction. It sets me up as an example for other players to follow, copy, and perhaps even emulate over the course of time. For them, I'm a Juninho Pernambucano 2.0, a Brazilian with a Brescia accent.
I'd have considered myself fortunate to be coached by Guardiola because he really puts his stamp on teams. He builds them, moulds them, guides them, berates them, nurtures them. He makes them great. He takes them to a higher level; a place beyond mere football.
I came to New York City as a player, so my objective is to take the team as high as possible, preferably to victory. If that helps Major League Soccer grow, then that's welcome, too, but I was signed as a New York City FC player and to do what's best for the team.
I've always been used to playing 60 games - one every three days - and I've played on artificial turf. There is artificial turf in Europe as well in some places. There is heat as well. And if it's hot for me at 110 degrees Fahrenheit, it's hot for the others as well.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that players care about transfer fees. For a player, they do not care at all. They do not care if they move clubs for one million, 10 million, or 100 million Euros. That is just something a player leaves to his agent and the clubs.
Being a philosopher is to think, seek wisdom, and have principles that guide and influence what you do. It's to give meaning to things, find your way in the world, believe that in the end, in every instance, good will overcome evil, even if there's a bit of suffering along the way.
If I look in the mirror when I get up or before going to bed at night, I see a man of average ugliness with stubble, an unruly mane of hair, a squint nose, slightly protruding ears, and bags under my eyes. But I also see a man who's completely happy with the figure staring back at him.
As a player, you get to the stage where you realise that you are not 25 anymore - and can't play the way you used to. The intelligent players adapt - and Steven Gerrard has the ability to do that. He is an excellent passer of the ball, possesses an intelligent football brain, and has great vision.
On the first training session Pogba had with Juventus, the players were laughing. We were not laughing for any other reason than we were just in total disbelief that this player with so much obvious ability was able to leave the club the size of Manchester United for free - and I think Juventus are still laughing.