"I think gender is irrelevant. If the quality is there, and obviously it is there, because otherwise she wouldn't get appointed for this game, then it doesn't really matter. If you look at her CV as well, she had been doing so many good games and, you know, they made probably the right decision. And what I said before, gender doesn't matter at all." Liverpool defender and The Best FIFA Men's Player nominee Virgil van Dijk speaking ahead of the UEFA Super Cup about the appointment of Stephanie Frappart, the first female referee to officiate a major men's European match

"It's great news. I'm very pleased to be a part of this moment in history, which is very much due. I think the game has come on a long way in many ways in terms of the Women's World Cup that we all watched this summer, in terms of how much respect the game's getting, how many people are watching, the interest in the game. I think we were slow everywhere on this and now we're trying to make strides, and there's still a long way to go. It's a huge moment. It should be very well addressed and we are pleased it's a historical moment and it's one more step in the right direction." Chelsea manager Frank Lampard also speaks about Frappart's appointment for the Super Cup

"Unfortunately Louis went straight into a lamp-post while running after the car and busted his nose when he hit the floor. We were still trying to work out what had happened when Mo arrived. He'd seen one of the boys had hurt himself and he had the decency to drive back into the close to check that he was OK. No-one could believe it. Everyone was gobsmacked. Mo asked if the boys were all right and gave them a big hug which was what they both needed. They were made up and Louis forgot all about being injured." Joe Cooper, stepdad of Louis Fowler, tells a story of his son and an unlikely encounter with Liverpool star and The Best FIFA Men's Player nominee Mohamed Salah

"People pay more attention to women's football in Mauritania. The national team has people talking. Some will agree, others won't, but we will deal with it." Head of Women's Football at the Mauritania Football Federation (FFRIM) Oumou Kane talks with BBC Sport about establishing the country's first women's national team

"The confidence that a player needs doesn't only come from himself but also from the players around him and the coach. You need to feel like you are an important part of the group and Zidane made me feel special. He helped me a lot. I already had a lot of respect for him but working with him made me admire him more. That's because of what he's like as a person, how he talks, how he led the team and how he treated me. He'd tell me, 'Cris, relax and just play your game - you are the one who is going to make the difference.' He was always honest with me and that's why I'll always have a real affection for him." Cristiano Ronaldo speaks about Zinedine Zidane as part of the 'Making Of' documentary series on DAZN

"I would love to be his coach, but I confess that I choose Messi because I have a small weakness for him being left-footed. I was a left-footed footballer myself. I can't choose another one, it's my style." Romania legend Gheorghe Hagi speaking with Super Deportivo Radio after being asked whether he prefers Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi

"It's an honour to join the Sounders team and have the unique opportunity to represent female ownership within major league sports." Grammy-award winning singer Ciara speaks about joining the ownership group of the Seattle Sounders along with husband and NFL quarterback Russell Wilson

"We saw he was wearing the boxer shorts of Cristiano Ronaldo. He did the meeting with his shirt stuffed inside his 'CR7' boxers. The whole changing room was on the floor laughing their heads off. That really broke the ice. Usually in those situations, everyone is serious and concentrated. But he was relaxed and made this joke. He’s done hundreds of jokes likes that. If you see that your manager is really confident and relaxed, it will have an effect on players. He is a father figure in those things for the players. With his jokes and his body language, he takes the pressure off players." Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum tells The Athletic about Jurgen Klopp's team talk ahead of the 2018 UEFA Champions League final

“We allowed Joey to head to the United States to pursue a dream in music at the start of last month. He’s made inroads in the business and the opportunity to remain in LA to chase those dreams is one that’s too big for him to pass up." Newcastle Jets chief executive Lawrie McKinna tells Australian Associated Press about the club's decision to grant indefinite leave to winger Joey Champness so he can pursue a career in hip hop in Los Angeles

"People know who you are and sometimes people ask for pictures but it's fine and the people of Manchester are very respectful, so when Pep gives us a day off, I go for breakfast almost every day and I take a walk in the city centre. I like Juan Mata's restaurant and I go to Pep's restaurant, but we have to pay double!" Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva speaks about life in Manchester with BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast

“I’ve been watching the video of my penalty goal every night! It took a while for it to really sink in, to realise what we’d really achieved." Brazil and Everton forward Richarlison on winning the Copa America on home soil, in an exclusive interview with Goal