"He was a kind of James Dean of football at the time - he smoked and played. I saw him playing against us at Strasbourg and he was eating a sandwich before the game, then he would go on the pitch and be the best player. He had that kind of expression of freedom in the way he behaved and that strength of personality was absolutely exceptional in that period.”
Arsene Wenger reflecting on Johan Cruyff's legacy
“We chuckled when we heard the news because it was clear the old coach will return home. But we directly said that it’s not BVB versus Klopp, but rather Dortmund versus Liverpool. We accept the draw. We’re professional and hungry for success.”
Marco Reus gave his reaction to Borussia Dortmund drawing Liverpool and former coach Jurgen Klopp in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals
“My lad has asked me to get him an England kit with Vardy on the back!”
Wayne Rooney revealed his son wants an England shirt… with Jamie Vardy on the back
“He has his life, his things and I have mine. We haven't spoken at all. Considering that we don't speak to each other, I have a great relationship with him.”
Argentina captain Lionel Messi said he has a good relationship with La Albiceleste legend Diego Maradona despite not speaking to him in years
“He’s got character on and off the pitch. He can seem kind of shy but when it comes to normal relationships with people, he’s got a special character. He’s got Algerian blood in there! He’s got that mentality, that hot blood. When people say he won’t have the character to deal with players and to be a winner, they are totally wrong. He’s got a lot of character. He’s a winner as well. He suffers when he doesn’t win. He’s a perfectionist as well.”
Former Real Madrid defender Michel Salgado speaking with FIFA.com about his former team-mate and current Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane ahead of this weekend’sEl Clásico
“Playing in El Clásico is the most beautiful thing that exists in football, and I’m very happy that now I’ll be able to experience it as a coach.”
Zinedine Zidane spoke to the press ahead of Real Madrid’s visit to Barcelona
“I would sign Modric for Barça because his way of playing fits with the style that exists at the club. He is a footballer who looks like [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi due to his way of playing, he has a similar style. The forwards [Ronaldo, Benzema and Bale] would not have a place at Barça.”
Former Barcelona midfielder Deco gave his views ahead of El Clásico
“I actually don’t play as much FIFA as people think. They might think I play ten hours a day but it’s more like ten hours a week, so I find it easy to balance it with my schoolwork and hobbies.”
FIFA Interactive World Cup 2016 champion Mohamad Al-Bacha in an interview withFIFA.com following his epic victory in the Final Showdown
"11,250 minutes, 136 international matches, 59 goals, 2 European Championships, 1 World Cup and many beautiful moments. We’re going to miss you Manon!”
After Dutch star Manon Melis announced her retirement from international football, theNetherlands’ women’s team wished her well as she prepares for the National Women’s Soccer League with Seattle Reign
Sleaford Town's Harrison Allen had to stop live-tweeting their match against Boston to substitute into the match himself