"It is a very sad day for football, Raymond Kopa was an exceptional player, an inspiration for many generations and a man whose commitment to the service of football was flawless throughout his life. Our thoughts are with his family and loved ones." *FIFA President Gianni Infantino pays tribute to former France legend Raymond Kopa, who passed away on Friday*

"I never bank for a player to sign a contract, I never bank for a player to play for me. But, if needed, I think maybe ­United fans can go to the door of his house and stay there all night. We all want and believe that he is going to stay with us one more season."

"The first time I went, I took my football shoes. Then I saw the sign at the gates - no shoes, nothing. I was like, 'No shoes? Okay…'. It was very strange, and at the start it hurts, a lot! When you play, you break your toes, but my technique improved so much. So yes, it does work. It is a mental challenge being away from your family. It helped that I was used to always being on the streets with my friends, but I saw children crying when they left their parents. Football wise, it was excellent for me, it helped me understand the game in a different way. But also things like homework and just getting by, everything was my responsibility. That made me grow up a lot." *Jason Denayer speaks to the Daily Mail​ about joining the JMG Academy in Belgium as a teenager*

"The national team shirt is an important symbol and it constantly reminds us that we can win whatever game it is in whatever competitions. I think it is great that we can join forces with other strong women and that we together can show that everything is possible. There is always a need to show young women that it is possible to succeed and that no one should feel limited in what they can achieve and particularly not because of their sex." Sweden women's national team captain Lotta Schelinspeaks to The Guardian about the team's initiative with adidas to print empowering tweets from women on the back of their jerseys instead of their own names

"I'm not a clown, I'm not always laughing like crazy. I'm a normal person. My job is to make the players feel there's a big chance to win it. I was a real mentality player, my strength was pushing team-mates. You try everything in the game - have influence from the sideline." Liverpool manager Jurgen Kloppspeaks at a news conference ahead of Arsenal's trip to Anfield

"I have a strong memory of watching the 2006 World Cup at home with my family. As we were watching a game, my father turned to me and said, ‘This is my biggest dream – to see you one day playing wearing that shirt at a World Cup’. I was just a kid at the time; neither of us could have imagined I would do just that only eight years later. But his dream definitely became my dream, and I was really determined to do whatever I could to make it happen." AZ Alkmaar and Iran winger Alireza Jahanbakhshspeaks with FIFA.com about the World Cup's influence on him and his family's lives

"At the end of training, he walked up to me and handed me his boots. I had posters of Maradona on the walls of my bedroom — our Neapolitan deity. Now, in my hands, were his shoes, muddy from the day’s work." Former Italy captain Fabio Cannavarowrites in The Players' Tribune about training with Diego Maradona during his time with Napoli

"It's about how I live with my profession, with a never-ending quest for solutions and to improve my team. That means I have very little time to rest, very few hours to disconnect. I think it will be good for me at the end of the season because I need to rest. That's the principle motive." Barcelona head coach Luis Enriqueannounces in a post-match press conference, after his side's 6-1 win over Sporting Gijon, that he will leave the club at the end of the season

"It has surprised us a little, we didn't expect it but it is an understandable decision and one that we accept. The job of coach is very difficult and requires lots of hours of hard work and he has to enjoy being with his family as well." Barcelona forward Luis Suareztells the club's official website that the players were surprised by Luis Enrique's decision

"You just want to be sisters when the day ends. I think we got to know each other quite well through that period. When we moved apart, we grew a lot as people. It just tightened our relationship. That’s why it’s so cool to see each other more often when we’re here with Norway." Norway forward Ada Hegerbergspeaks exclusively with FIFA.com about growing up with her sister and fellow team-mate Andrine, while living together away from home in Potsdam

"My blood is not English, if you know what I’m saying? Growing up, it was Caribbean in my house and it was Turkish. I never ate fish and chips growing up, my mum cooked Turkish food and West Indian food. For a family, we’re so far away from English. I respect England. They didn’t give my mum and dad anything but they gave us … a platform. And then it was down to my mum and dad and all our families to be able to try and make something out of it. Which 95 per cent of us have failed to do. I’m lucky, my dad and my mum had more perseverance with me and I was able to make something of my life, but a lot of my cousins and a lot of friends are in jail or dead." Corinthians forward Colin Kazim-Richardsspeaks with The Guardian about his upbringing

"There was a party of five from the Irish FA – including Michael O’Neill – who were near Lyon checking facilities before EURO 2016 and they came to see me the evening after my operation. I really appreciated it, it was something they didn’t have to do, but that’s the kind of group we have. The players and staff are all very much in it together and that proved it for me." Northern Ireland and West Bromwich Albion's Chris Brunt speaks exclusively with FIFA.com about the togetherness in the squad ahead of March's FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers

"It’s in his DNA, he was talking to us, trying to make us feel like we could give our best. I think he will be a great manager. I don’t know if that’s what he wants to do, but he’s at the academy and it’s a great start for him and I see him as a manager. At half-time, Rafa did a speech. He tried to boost and tried to put us back in the game. He was really optimistic. But what really changed the game was Stevie’s speech. He asked nicely to the staff to be alone with the players and he said that he is a Liverpool kid, always been his club, he didn’t want to see his club being like this, being humiliated and he said if we scored in the first 15 minutes, we would win the game and he’s the guy who scored the first goal. He gave the best captain’s speech I ever heard in my career. He asked everyone to leave, including Rafa, he just asked to be with the players. That’s what gave us the power to go and win the game. You need to have some balls to do this." Former Liverpool forward Djibril Cissetells the Daily Mirror that Steven Gerrard will make a great manager

"You're close to the pitch, to the dressing room, to the things you experienced before, but it's never going to be the same as playing. You'll never stop missing it and thinking back to your playing career, but life is made up of different stages and no one can stop the march of time." Former Colombia captain Mario Yepesspeaks about life as head coach of Deportivo Cali

New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski visits the Camp Nou in Barcelona