The Week in Quotes
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"Neymar is the kind of guy who could perform at the Bolshoi Theatre if he were a ballet dancer or could win an Oscar if he were an actor. I want Neymar to stay until he is 80 years old. I will even offer his son a contract. Neymar is Santos and a fan of the club. Barcelona's interest? They can go and harvest potatoes in Catalonia."
Luis Alvaro Ribeiro, Santos president
"I am still in love with Naples and the Napoli jersey. The 1987 triumph seems like yesterday. I only cried a few times on the football pitch, but on that day I cried like no other. Along with the World Cup I won with Argentina, it is the highlight of my career. But in Mexico City, my people were far away, whereas that day I was able to celebrate at home with all my people. I remember everything from that season. The party after was beautiful – it lasted for days! I never understood why it took Napoli 60 years to win a Scudetto. They had, and continue to have, fantastic support. I embrace the whole of Naples for the emotions they have given me. My heart is with them now, just as it was back then."
Diego Maradona
“They are 20 years old and turn up to training sessions with luxury cars, then you can only talk to them through their agents, while sometimes you find them eating chocolate during the half-time break. It’s not just Ljajic, but a generation of over-privileged boys. I trained a team of factory workers, builders and farmers near Foggia. Four days a week, three times a day, without heating, so we had to use the hairdryer to keep warm in the locker room. I’d like to talk to Ljajic and his colleagues about that.”
Delio Rossi explains the bust-up with Adem Ljajic which led to his dismissal as Fiorentina coach
"Yaya is fantastic because he has everything - he is strong, quick, has good technique and can play in different positions. When you are a top player you can play in every position, and for me Yaya is one of the best players in Europe. He is like Gullit.”
Roberto Mancini on Yaya Toure
“Andrea Pirlo has run this season like he never has before. I didn’t expect him to work as hard asGennaro Gattuso and display the class of Zinedine Zidane.”
Alessio Tacchinardi
“Taking Messi and Ronaldo out of the equation, Falcao has to be the best player in the world right now!”
Juan Pablo Angel
"Although he may not be human, it's good that Messi still thinks he is. Messi plays another sport."
Javier Mascherano
“When we were on international duty, I told some of the Milan players we’d win the title and they laughed in my face. I didn’t take kindly to that!”
Gianluigi Buffon

"This call-up was totally unexpected. I listened to my voicemail during a break in school and there was a message from Joachim Low!”
Julian Draxler, the 18-year-old who combines playing for Schalke with studying for his A-levels, on receiving his first Germany call-up