"Second place in the World Cup is a complete failure. It"s like yoyu are chatting up a girl and she says you are second in her affections because she prefers someone else." --Senate Aldo Rebelo who started the inquiry on WC 1`998 Final in Brazil. More please....
"It is better to win 10 times 1-0 than win once 10-0." Former Paris St. Germain coach Vahid Hadzilovich after havng his team criticised for yet another insipid display decided by a goal off a corner...
All are from Brian Clough "I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one" - On his own success. "If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there" - On the importance of passing the ball to feet. "I only ever hit Roy the once. He got up so I couldn't have hit him very hard" - On dealing with Roy Keane. "We talk about it for 20 minutes and then we decide I was right" - On dealing with players who disagree with him. "At last England have appointed a manager who speaks English better than the players" - On the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson. "I'm sure the England selectors thought if they took me on and gave me the job, I'd want to run the show. They were shrewd because that's exactly what I would have done" - On not getting the England manager's job. "Players lose you games, not tactics. There's so much crap talked about tactics by people who barely know how to win at dominoes" - On England's exit from Euro 2000. "The Derby players have seen more of his balls than the one they're meant to be playing with" - On a streaker who once interrupted a Derby County-Manchester United match. Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson In a champion's league: Cloughie 2-1 Ferguson "Manchester United in Brazil? I hope they all get bloody diarrhoea" - On Manchester United's decision to opt out of the FA Cup to play in the World Club Championship in 2000. "For all his horses, knighthoods and championships, he hasn't got two of what I've got. And I don't mean balls" - Referring to Sir Alex Ferguson's failure to win two successive European Cups. "I can't even spell spaghetti never mind talk Italian. How could I tell an Italian to get the ball? He might grab mine" - On the influx of foreign players. "I like my women to be feminine, not sliding into tackles and covered in mud" - On women and football. "Anybody who can do anything in Leicester but make a jumper has got to be a genius" - His tribute to Martin O'Neill, who used to manage Leicester City. "That Seaman is a handsome young man but he spends too much time looking in his mirror rather than at the ball. You can't keep goal with hair like that" - On the pony-tailed former England goalkeeper David Seaman. "If a chairman sacks the manager he initially appointed, he should go as well" - Saying that too many managers lose their jobs. "I thought it was my next-door neighbour because I think she felt that if I got something like that I would have to move" - Guessing who nominated him for a knighthood. "Who the hell wants 14 pairs of shoes when you go on holiday? I haven't had 14 pairs in my life" - On the contents of Victoria Beckham's missing luggage. "He should guide Posh in the direction of a singing coach because she's nowhere near as good at her job as her husband" - Advice for David Beckham. "Don't send me flowers when I'm dead. If you like me, send them while I'm alive" - After the liver transplant which saved his life. "I want no epitaphs of profound history and all that type of thing. I contributed. I would hope they would say that, and I would hope somebody liked me." - On being remembered
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think that sardines will be thrown into the sea" - ERIC CANTONA
Ian Rush: "Playing in Italy was like playing in a foreign country." - Rushie after playing for Juve. Hristo Stoichkov: "God is still Bulgarian but the referee was French." - Stoichkov on his claim about God being Bulgarian after the Bulgaria lost to Italy at USA 94. Vittorio Pozzo: "English players can be treated collectively. Italians have to be treated individually. They like to know that you're on their side." - Pozzo's interpretation on how some Italians like think they're right all the time and the team mentality regarding Azzurri squads.
Phil Woosnam: "The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves, kick it. If it doesn't move, kick it until it does."
Gordon Strachan ... on Wayne Rooney Its an incredible rise to stardom. At 17 you're more likely to get a call from Michael Jackson than Sven Goran Eriksson. Reporter: Gordon, Do you think James Beattie deserves to be in the England squad? Strachan: I dont care, I'm Scottish. Reporter: "Gordon, can we have a quick word please?" Strachan: "Velocity" [walks off] Reporter: Welcome to Southampton Football Club. Do you think you are the right man to turn things around? Strachan: No. I was asked if I thought I was the right man for the job and I said, "No, I think they should have got George Graham because I'm useless." Reporter: Is that your best start to a season? Strachan: Well I've still got a job so it's far better than the Coventry one, that's for sure. Reporter: Are you getting where you want to be with this team? Strachan: We're not doing bad. What do you expect us to be like? We were eighth in the league last year, in the cup final and we got into Europe. I don't know where you expect me to get to. Do you expect us to win the Champions League? Reporter: Gordon, you must be delighted with that result? Strachan: You're spot on! You can read me like a book. Reporter: Gordon, Austin Delgado? Strachan: I've got more important things to think about. I've got a yogurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today. That can be my priority rather than Agustin Delgado. Reporter: This might sound like a daft question, but you'll be happy to get your first win under your belt, won't you? Strachan: You're right. It is a daft question. I'm not even going to bother answering that one. It is a daft question, you're spot on there. Reporter: Bang, there goes your unbeaten run. Can you take it? Strachan: No, I'm just going to crumble like a wreck. I'll go home, become an alcoholic and maybe! jump of a bridge. Umm, I think I can take it, yeah. Reporter: There's no negative vibes or negative feelings here? Strachan: Apart from yourself, we're all quite positive round here. I'm going to whack you over the head with a big stick, down negative man, down. Reporter: Where will Marion Pahars fit into the team line-up? Strachan: Not telling you! It's a secret. Reporter: You don't take losing lightly, do you Gordon? Strachan: I don't take stupid comments lightly either. Reporter: So, Gordon, in what areas do you think Middlesbrough were better than you today? Strachan: What areas? Mainly that big green one out there.... ... on being in 4th place I'm going home now to get myself a Coca-Cola and a packet of crisps and I'll sit in front of the television and look at the table on Teletext all night. I have discovered that when you go to Anfield or Old Trafford, it pays not to wear a coloured shirt because everyone can see the stains as the pressure mounts. I always wear a white shirt so nobody sees you sweat.
More from Clough:- "He may look like a tramp, but give him a ball and a yard of grass and he's an artist", on John Robinson "My granny could have scored that in her pinny", on the "million pound goal" that Trevor Francis scored in the European Cup Final. Hoary old one from Bill Shankley:- "Some people think football is a matter of life and death, but that’s ridiculous:- its far more important than that" Kenny Dalglish, when asked if someone (sorry, forget who) would play the following Saturday:- "I don't know, ask my wife. She picks the team" Michael Robinson tells some great stories about being at Liverpool, he was Joe Fagin's first signing, and Bob Paisley was there at the negotiations too. Robinson asked them, if he signed, how would they want him to play? They looked at each other, with concerned looks on their faces, and said "We are paying a lot of money for you, we hope you know how to play", Robinson said, "No, what system? How would I fit in?" they exchanged glances and Paisley, who presided over one of the greatest sides in the world said:- "Listen, son, football is a simple game. The guy in goal tries to stop the ball going in the net. The defenders try and stop them having a shot. The guys in the middle get the ball, and pass it up to you. When you have the ball, you try and put in the net, if you can't, you give it to the other fella, who will try and score." John Beck, former manager of Cambridge, pre match talk:- "Zig-zag to the onion bag" Chris White (ex Leeds) got stabbed once, and when asked why he thought he was attacked he said:- "They must have thought I was Paul Ince" Should be able to remember who, but can't, sorry... a football writer:- "Kevin Keegan isn't fit to lace George Best's drinks" Unknown (english) commentator:- "June 21st 1970. World Cup Final day. All roads lead to the Azteca"
My signature: "¡Con el pito nos los follamos, que somos el Real Madrid!" (Very) rough translation: "We will ******** them at the whistle, because we're Real Madrid!"
Vujadin Boskov: "Football is unpredictable, because all games begin 0-0" "Winning is better than drawing, and drawing better than losing" "Losing is better than being relegated" "Football is football" "What's the ball made of? Leather, right? And where does leather come from? From cows. And what do cows eat? Grass. Then for God's sake don't lift the ball from the grass!" Alfredo Di Stefano, when coaching Valencia, on the importance of passing to the feet. "Ninety minutes in the Bernabeu are very long" Juanito, spoken to an Inter player in fake Italian after losing 3-1 at San Siro. Real Madrid won 3-0 the second leg after that. "He came into the box lonelier than Adam in Mother's Day. And he looked as if he were ice skating.""Mono" Burgos, Atlético de madrid goalie, on a goal Ronaldo had scored against them. Jorge Valdano: "Romario is like a cartoon soccer player" "He's not a man, he's a herd" (on Ronaldo) "I've always defined the fans like a monster with a thousand heads. But some heads are uglier than otheres." Johann Cruyff: "My forwards need only to run for 15m, unless they're stupid or are sleeping." "Everybody knows how to play football if you leave them 5m of space" "All I know with the most certainty about the moral ond men's duties, I owe to football" Albert Camus, philosopher.
This isn't really a quote but an old Brazilian saying: "Pele is the best but Garrincha was better." These other quotes aren't funny ones but they're famous ones: Alf Ramsey: "Our best football will come against a team that comes to play football, not to act as animals." Viera, coach of Uruguay at England 66: "Other countries have their history, we have our football."
Best half time team talk: "F*cking better do this because you are f*cking this up. Kids would f*cking die to wear those f*cking shirts. You are all so f*cking useless. You gotta prove you can f*cking do this because at the moment you are f*cking losing 2-0 to the f*cking Mexicans!" (...England went on to lose 4-0) Mike Bassett (England Manager)
KEVIN KEEGAN "It's like a toaster, the ref's shirt pocket. Every time there's a tackle, up pops a yellow card." "The ref was vertically 15 yards away." "There are two schools of thought on the way the rest of this half is going to develop; everybody's got their own opinion..." "This could be a repeat of the final." "The game has gone rather scrappy as both sides realise they could win this match or lose it." "I don't think there's anyone bigger or smaller than Maradona." "England can end the millenium as it started - as the greatest football nation in the world." "They compare Steve McManaman to Steve Heighway and he's nothing like him, but I can see why - it's because he's a bit different." "You can't do better than go away from home and get a draw..." "He can't speak Turkey, but you can tell he's delighted." "There'll be no siestas in Madrid tonight." "...using his strength. And that is his strength, his strength." "One of his strengths is not heading." "Gary always weighed up his options, especially when he had no choice." "I'm not disappointed - just disappointed." "The tide is very much in our court now." "Chile have three options - they could win or they could lose." "That would have been a goal if it wasn't saved." "I came to Nantes two years ago and it's much the same today, except that it's totally different." "A tremendous strike which hit the defender full on the arm - and it nearly came off." "The good news for Nigeria is that they're two-nil down very early in the game." "The substitute is about to come on - he's a player who was left out of the starting line-up today." "That decision, for me, was almost certainly definitely wrong." "I know what is around the corner - I just don't know where the corner is. But the onus is on us to perform and we must control the bandwagon." "In some ways, cramp is worse than having a broken leg." "England have the best fans in the world and Scotland's fans are second-to-none." "It's understandable that people are keeping one eye on the pot and another up the chimney." "I'd love to be a mole on the wall in the Liverpool dressing room at half-time." "It could be far worse for me if it was easy for me." "Discipline is not only very important, it's crucial." "Young Gareth Barry - he's young." "Argentina won't be at Euro 2000 because they're from South America." "They're the second best team in the world, and there's no higher praise than that." "You're not just getting international football, you're getting world football." "Luis Figo is totally different to David Beckham, and vice versa." "I want more from David Beckham. I want him to improve on perfection." "There's a slight doubt about only one player, and that's Tony Adams, who definitely won't be playing tomorrow." "I've had an interest in racing all my life, or longer really." "We managed to wrong a few rights." "We are three games without defeat is another way of looking at it. But if we are honest we have taken two points from nine." "He'll also be very dangerous from set-pieces. That means he'll be a threat from free-kicks and corners in the final third of the field." "Danny Tiatto is not going to make a mistake on purpose." "I'll never play at Wembley again, unless I play at Wembley again." "You need 88 points for the title and we’ve got 61 at present with 16 games to go, but if you set targets you limit yourself." "We deserved to win this game after hammering them 0-0 in the first half." "Well, if that's true then it would be a big suprise, but then nothing surprises me in football these days." "You get bunches of players like you do bananas, though that is a bad comparison." "Not many teams will come to Arsenal and get anything, home or away." "Shaun Wright-Phillips has got a big heart. It's as big as him, which isn't very big, but it's bigger." "One team with destiny already decided..." "Maine Road was a great football stadium but as time moved on it stayed where it is..."
BBC commentator John Motson "The World Cup is a truly international event." "Whether that was a penalty or not, the referee thought otherwise." "And I suppose they [Spurs] are nearer to being out of the FA Cup now than any other time since the first half of this season, when they weren't ever in it anyway." "The game is balanced in Arsenal's favour." "The unexpected is always likely to happen..." "Nearly all the Brazilian supporters are wearing yellow shirts - it's a fabulous kaleidoscope of colour!" "That's an old Ipswich move - O'Callaghan crossing for Mariner to drive over the bar." "Bruce has got the taste of Wembley in his nostrils." "...so different from the scenes in 1872, at the cup final none of us can remember." "For those of you watching in black and white, Spurs are in the yellow strip." "I was about to say before something far more interesting interrupted..." "There is still nothing on the proverbial scoreboard." "It looks like a one-man show here though there are two men involved." "And Seaman, just like a falling oak, manages to change direction." "Paul Gascoigne has recently become a father and been booked for over-celebrating." "It's Arsenal 0, Everton 1, and the longer it stays like that the more you've got to fancy Everton to win." "The match was settled either side of half-time." "The atmosphere here is literally electric..." "And what a time to score! 22 minutes gone..." "Brazil - they're so good it's like they are running around the pitch playing with themselves." "It's a football stadium in the truest sense of the word." "England could have been 1-0 down on two occasions now." "I know that Gareth Barry has been told by Howard Wilkinson to take a long hard look at these with his left foot." "I've lost count of how many chances Helsingborg have had. It's at least five." "The goals made such a difference to the way this game went." "That shot might not have been as good as it might have been..." "The match has become quite unpredictable, but it still looks as though Arsenal will win the cup." "Not the first half you might have expected, even though the score might suggest that it was." "Chelsea haven't got any out and out strikers on the bench unless you count Zenden who's more of a winger." "He's not quite at 110% fitness." "The referee is wearing the same yellow-coloured top as the Slovakian goalkeeper. I'd have thought the UEFA official would have spotted that - but perhaps he's been deafened by the noise of this crowd."
"You can play when your balls have dropped!"--Alfredo Di Stefano nicely telling Michel why he was still with the Madrid reserves in 1984.
IAN HOLLOWAY (ex-?) QPR boss "I reckon the ball was travelling at 400mph, and I bet it burned the keeper's eyebrows off." "I mean no respect to Donatella. I'm sure she would not be flattered to hear she looks like Marc Bircham." "I've got to get Dan Shittu ready for the Stoke game. I've told him to go to Iceland and ask if he can sit in one of their freezers." "To the people who booed - boo to you!" "When my mum was running our house, when I was a kid, all the money was put into tins. She knew what was in every tin and I know how much I've got in my tin - that's the way we'll run this club." "Look at the prickly little fella down the road at Chelsea. He wants to win everything and we can learn from that. If there were two flies crawling up the wall he'd be desperate to back the winner." ... on Marc Nygaard "When my wife first saw Marc for the first time, she said he was a fine specimen of a man. She says I have nothing to worry about, but I think she wants me to buy her a QPR shirt with his name on the back for Christmas." "Anybody who is a QPR fan is welcome at Loftus Road. I'd be happy for him to turn up for a kickabout, just so long as he brings that Kate Moss with him - she's absolutely lovely." "I couldn't be more chuffed if I were a badger at the start of the mating season." And his most famous one from last season... "Right now, everything is going wrong for me - if I fell in a barrel of boobs, I'd come out sucking my thumb!"
“If there’s a fight on the pitch, then I always run straight over if it’s not too far. Mostly I don’t need to, because I’m involved.” Fernando Ricksen
Obdulio Varela: (Asked before the 1950 final match of the WC if he feared the daunting Brazilian forward line): 'Fear them? (laughing). Gentlemen, you forget that you are speaking to a man who has often played against Adolfo Pedernera.'
"I once said Gazza's IQ was less than his shirt number and he asked me: 'What's an IQ?'"---George Best on Paul Gascoigne