“For me it's like Messi is not human but Cristiano is the best of the humans.” **Gerard Pique on the difference between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
“One day, during a training session, Gattuso spent all morning teasing Zlatan. He was provoking him, and Zlatan took it without apparently saying anything. In fact his revenge would come soon after. Rino and Zlatan met again in the dressing room after training, and Ibra lifted the entire weight of his team-mate, flipped him over and threw him in the bin!” **Thiago Silva describes an altercation between Gennaro Gattuso and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during their time at AC Milan
“When he hit it, as it went over the wall I thought, ‘That one’s going into Row Z’, I swear to God. I think even someone in the wall shouted ‘see ya’ to Payet. I think Wayne Hennessey probably thought it as well.” **Damien Delaney on Dimitri Payet’s free-kick abilities
“In Catalonia there used to be a half-hour programme every Monday where they’d show the best goals from the Premier League. Every week, Matt Le Tissier would be on the show. I’m talking outrageous, sickening goals. Straight in the top corner, left-foot flick and then right over the defender and score against Newcastle. We used to say: ‘This guy, Le Tissier, is outrageous and he never goes to a big team. He stays at Southampton. It’s incredible. He could play for anyone.’ Our whole house was obsessed with him.” **Xavi on Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier
**Le Tissier responded to Xavi’s praise on Twitter
“This player Kante, he was running so hard that I thought he must have a pack full of batteries hidden in his shorts. He never stopped running in training. I had to tell him, ‘Hey, N’Golo, slow down. Slow down. Don’t run after the ball every time, okay?’ He says to me, ‘Yes, boss. Yes. Okay.’ Ten seconds later, I look over and he’s running again. I tell him, ‘One day, I’m going to see you cross the ball, and then finish the cross with a header yourself.’ He’s unbelievable, but he is not the only key. There are too many keys to name in this incredible season.” Leicester City managerClaudio Ranierion midfielder N’Golo Kante
"It remains a thorn deep in my heart still today. The pain of this loss is more poignant even than that brought about by failed love." **Ma Li reflects on being eliminated from the FIFA Women’s World Cup China PR 1991™ in the quarter-finals to Sweden
"I see ghosts all the time. Genuinely. I think I've seen about four. When I first signed for Villa I stayed in a hotel there was a lot of things moving in the room, a lot of bangs. And about four months ago I saw, in my house in God's country , I saw two ghosts in the bedroom. I don't think they're there to harm me. But I've definitely seen them. It was just a split second and then they were gone. The one four months ago, that actually was carrying a body, it went out onto my balcony, then disappeared." **Fabian Delph discusses his supernatural sightings
"I wish I had such beautiful hair too." Wolfsburg midfielder Maximilian Arnoldon Real Madrid left-back Marcelo after the German side’s 2-0 win in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg match
"Anything is possible, we will have to see. Nobody can play Zlatan." Zlatan Ibrahimovic when asked if he would like to follow on from Cristiano Ronaldo by having a film made about him and, subsequently, who he would like to see play him on screen
“I have this ambition to be an NFL kicker. If NFL managers want a footballer in their team, I know I can kick a 60-yard field goal. Let’s see, if you don’t dream you won’t achieve anything.” Leicester City’s Christian Fuchs on his aspirations to one day make a move from football to...football
"Tuesday I looked into your eyes and nobody believed in what I said. But you see, anything is possible in football. You have to put a lot of energy in your game when you play against a top team like Madrid. If Madrid open the door for us, we have to barge through it.” Wolfsburg coach Dieter Heckingafter his side’s 2-0 win in the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday