Quotes of All Topics . Occasions . Authors
I've learned a lot over the years, but I am an honest person, and when I'm not happy, I can't fake a smile. If there is a problem, you will know straight away because you will see it on my face.
If I stay working with Pep Guardiola, if he wants me, he's just going to be a lucky man because I will be really hungry. I am the type of player for his philosophy and the way he likes his team.
I knew Manuel Pellegrini from my time in Spain. I'd only heard good things about him, that he was someone who instilled the confidence in his players to go out and play good, attacking football.
Scholes was England's best football player. He had everything except the ability to tackle without earning a yellow card. It was impossible to take the ball from him, and he never mishit a pass.
I have to say that when I was young, when any politician was talking I wasn't even interested. Maybe they were saying some nice stuff, but then if you put Michael Jordan on TV, I was interested!
If you can achieve winning a league championship, that, to me, is the full test of the team and management because it is over the full season and you have a lot of problems you have to overcome.
I always map out how to get a good eight or nine hours of sleep before I even start my day. And my rule is to put my phone on silent when I go to bed; that way, no texts or emails can disturb me.
It wasn't easy to leave Barcelona. I fulfilled a dream when I moved there - to play in Spain and for the champions - but very few players stay in the same club all their life. To leave is normal.
When I was 6 or 7, my gymnastics coach looked at my quads and told the other coach to come over and see my quads. They were big then and still are. But I've kind of embraced it through the years.
As a young girl, football is where I met the people who, to this day, are my best friends. It is also where I began to learn about the important relationship between hard work, teamwork, and fun.
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.
The toughest part of my career was at the 2011 World Cup and 2012 Olympics and wanting so much to play and physically contribute - but having to understand and realize that it's just not my time.
Sometimes you feel the emotion. You think this might be my last pre-season or my last Champions League match. But, overall, those thoughts aren't important right now. But the time will soon come.
The advantage does lie with us because we're at home and if we can't motivate ourselves for this match then we can't motivate ourselves for any match. I think the crowd will be up for it as well.
When you are young, nothing is more important than football, but as you get older, you get married, have kids and lose people. Then you realise your family is more important. This comes with age.
'The chef on duty will constantly point out the time, name the next project, and finish with 'push!' The entire team then calls it back. It is a simple one, but it gives me goosebumps every time.
In Venezuela, which doesn't have thousands of prestige universities like the U.S., people usually stay at home while attending to college. After they graduate, they move for a job or get married.
I'd always thought leadership was a CEO or president or person in a position of power. And honestly, to me, that meant a man - because that's what I was reading about in history books growing up.
Clubs don't like their players going off to play international matches and you can see a scenario where they eventually start to make it more difficult for international sides to call up players.
My greatest idol I've always told everyone was Robinho as he was from Santos and I was always following him, so I'm a great fan. Among others, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Kaká. Many of them.
The Libertadores is sensational, but the Champions League... The first time I heard the anthem was a really special feeling. It's like being in a video game; it's living the dream of every child.
History shows that it is incredibly tough for a defender to be named Footballer of the Year because over the course of a year there is normally always a forward who steals the headlines up front.
When I arrive at our training ground at Borussia Dortmund, everybody could hear just that a few seconds before I can actually be seen. Everybody knows it's me. I love to hear the machine working.
Well, I grew up in Switzerland where my parents were immigrant workers, but my whole family are very good cooks - my father also. So I always saw my parents enjoying to cook and prepare the food.
When I was a player back in the 80s, Rangers didn't sign Catholic players. There was an enquiry when Graeme Souness took over about me going to Rangers. At the time I was told I couldn't do that.
But the manager's bought wisely - the players who've come in have taken us on to a different level and the players who won promotion have also performed at the top level, so long may it continue.
At the beginning, you are 20 and you can just imagine... don't get me wrong, but having money. Then you realise that it's not only about you and what you are doing but that you have to give back.
I'm an adopted Mancunian. This city has grown on me. I have a wife from Manchester and have three kids who think they are more Mancuniuan than anything else, which is a problem I need to address!
Honestly, just waking up every morning with headaches is tough, to know that I can't play tonight or I can't run tonight. Once the headaches started going away a little bit, I knew I had a chance.
I love yoga. There's a lot of stretching involved, which helps with my flexibility and injury prevention. Vinyasa is my favorite as a recovery tool and for me to continue having my legs feel good.
I'm looking forward to meeting my new team-mates and to be playing for Arsenal in the Premier League and Champions League. I will give my best to Arsenal and want to make all the supporters happy.
I played in Spain, and we also had a very good dressing room, and I won a lot of things. So I think that in my experience of being in dressing rooms, it's so important to have a really good group.
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.
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.
Beckham is unusual. He was desperate to be a footballer. His mind was made up when he was nine or ten. Many kids think that it's beyond them. But you can't succeed without practising at any sport.
You have moments where you're down, but I can be sad for one or two hours, no more. The rest of the time, I have to be happy because the team needs me to be positive. My brain needs it. I need it.
Unfortunately, in life, you have to make decisions based on so many things. I love watching the Premier League, and I've always had the opportunity to go, but a better offer always got in the way.
If I ever leave Fiorentina, I would very much like to go to Manchester United because out of the three best teams in Europe - United, Lazio, and Barcelona - Manchester, in my opinion, is the best.
The two centre-backs, Rob Huth and Wes Morgan, are in many ways journeyman pros, but they have that wonderful attitude and never-say-die spirit that has culminated in them being top of the league.
I had some very good players and some wonderful young players hitting the scene. Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, David Beckham, Michael Owen - we had something tangible to work with and move forward.
In 16, 17 years as a pro I was used to the head coach doing it alone. He might have asked his people for advice, but he made the decisions on his own. In order to learn quickly I couldn't do that.
I am no longer 20 or 21 years old, so I cannot afford to sit around waiting for my chance. I am 29 years old, and I want to play, play, and play. I am not crazy; I don't want to sit in the stands.
I'm not someone who goes around the locker room before a game trying to motivate my teammates. I don't say a lot before the game. I don't say a lot in general. It takes too much energy to do that.
When you're young it's football, football, football. Then you get a family, kids come into things and you find you have a broader view of life. You get your inspiration from many different places.
I have never been concerned about winning the Ballon d'Or or being the best player in the world. The best player is already here and that's Messi. And now I can see him from close up and help him.
Why was Effenberg a leader, because he was outspoken? Or because he had a certain presence on the pitch? When that's the criteria, OK, then maybe I have a different definition of what a leader is.
There have been miraculous stories in the history of big football events all around the globe, with host nations achieving fantastic results and even winning titles with the support of their fans.
I think it's the opportunity to continue breaking records, either set by other people or by myself. I think that's what pushes me to always make the most of myself and be very demanding on myself.
I used to read every, well, most nights. I think reading helps me in terms of relaxing... It helps me to get my mind off the game a little bit more and it helps me to be a little bit more focused.
I don't think there are many people out there - except, perhaps, the odd Twitter troll who knows no better - who believes that racially abusing people or threatening people is the right way to go.