"I will always remember the day you came to the dressing room at 13 years old and we were told a kid from Argentina had come to try out. You sat down and never said a word. The coach told me to go in strong in a one-on-one exercise against you. You looked so small that I thought I'd take the ball off you in a second. Silly me, you left me on the floor and from there I knew you were something special. You leave as the best player of all time. Barça will never be the same without you. I love you." Cesc Fabregas to Lionel Messi [Twitter]
“Neymar, are you watching? You told me to get the No10, I did, and now I have a gold medal. Now you’ll have to put up with me, brother!” Richarlison “You need winners on the field. You need players who will go for every header, who will take players out. Like Abby, she's not afraid of anything. We had Abby Wambach on the team, and she'll find a way to score or win. She may not be the best soccer player, but she will win it for us. I think there's just a cultural shift, right now. The players are becoming more stars and less winners.” Hope Solo [All of US: The U.S. Women's Soccer Show] "He's not easy to train with because, every day, he has a crazy mentality. Ibra always wants everyone to get the best out of themselves. He screams at you and pushes you to go beyond your limits." Alexis Saelemaekers on Zlatan Ibrahimovic [Tuttusport] "I was sad for Brazil, but happy for Leo. He had to win something with the national team and it made me very happy. I have a good relationship with him still and we talk whenever we get the chance." Ronaldinho on the Copa America 2021 final [Ibai Llanos’s Twitch]
"I remember like it was yesterday: the feeling I felt in Monte Carlo against the 18-year-old Mbappe. He was going at 3,000mph. At the end of the game, I went to Paratici and told him, 'What are we waiting for to get him?' The director made me understand that everyone already wanted him and it was practically impossible to approach Mbappe." Andrea Barzagli on facing Kylian Mbappe in 2017 [Tuttosport] “I went in the press conference singing Oasis because that’s what I fantasised doing if I became an Olympic champion. I dreamt of going in singing, letting myself go a little. At the hotel, during the celebrations, we’re going to film it.” Andre Jardine, who was part of an Oasis cover band before he became a coach
“Anywhere I go he is going to be a fan, so of course right now he is a Villa fan. I don’t need to make him, he automatically becomes a fan of the club. I have known him for a long time. He is a good friend of mine and an inspiration. I am sure he will want to come and see Villa against Manchester United.” Leon Bailey on Usain Bolt, who has repeatedly declared himself to be a big Manchester United fan
“I am not superstitious, a shirt number cannot change the way I play. Strikers like Inzaghi, Marco van Basten and Jean-Pierre Papin wore this shirt for Milan, but I don’t feel the pressure. God wanted me to play for Milan.” Olivier Giroud "It was the best birthday gift I could have gotten. I'm really proud of the guys but it wasn't for me; it was more for the players. Before the final today, there was a feeling inside of me that I just wanted it so bad for them so they can taste this and they can win a trophy together.” Gregg Berhalter on his USA side’s victory over Mexico in the Gold Cup final