The Beautiful Game and its Beautiful Quotes

Dave Marino-Nachison · Jun 10, 2003

Every now and then somebody says or writes something that captures the magic of soccer -- it could be a player, a manager, an author, or even a BigSoccer poster.

I thought it might be a good idea to try and collect them here... Let's see if we can collect some gems!

Here is one of my favorites:

"This is the sort of situation I enjoy: a game in the San Siro, a huge crowd and a night for big men. Remember, only victory is beautiful." -- Marcel Desailly

And another:

"The game and the ball are normally moving in chaos, but there are times when vision and skill combine magically to slice through the jumble with remarkable directness and efficiency. It is like a perfect circle drawn through a series of scattered points. These timeless instances of distinction and clarity inspire the team and the individual; the experience they provide is like no other I can name." -- Will Orben

Green Tabasco · Jun 10, 2003

You do realize that this is topic #666, right?

Mark424 · Jun 10, 2003

Not really uplifting, but they stick in my head:

I never make predictions and I never will - Paul Gascoigne

I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered. - George Best

SoccerScout · Jun 10, 2003

"Anyone can score 1000 goals like Pele, difficult is to score one goal like Pele"

Brazilian Poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade

lanman · Jun 10, 2003

"Football is not really about winning, or goals, or saves, or supporters - it's about glory. It's about doing things in style, doing them with a flourish; it's about going out to beat the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom; it's about dreaming of the glory that the Double brought" - Danny Blanchflower.

"Look at the little fat chap (Puskas) - we'll murder these" - unknown England player shortly before Hungary beat England 6-3, becoming the first non-British Isles team to win in England.

"Football hooligans? Well there are 92 club chairmen for a start" - Brian Clough.

"The last player to score a hat-trick in the FA Cup final was Stan Mortensen, they even named it after him - the Matthews Final" - Brian Clough.

"Alcholism vs Communism" - banner at a Scotland - USSR game.

El_Maestro · Jun 10, 2003

"A little bit with the hand of God and a little bit with the head of Maradona".

Diego Armando Maradona, Mexico City, June 22nd 1986

Matt Clark · Jun 12, 2003

"It's not about the long ball or the short ball. It's about the right ball". - Bob Paisley.

skipshady · Jun 12, 2003

"If you're in the penalty area and don't know what to do with the ball, put it in the net and we'll discuss the options later." - Bob Paisley

Mobile · Jun 12, 2003

Originally posted by El_Maestro
"A little bit with the hand of God and a little bit with the head of Maradona".

Diego Armando Maradona, Mexico City, June 22nd 1986
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"Maradona is a fat little junkie cheat"

Me.

"Out here in the USA they're all talking about Disney's new film, 'The Lion King'. Well here in Detroit there is only one Lion King........ his name is Jurgen Klinsmann - and his territory is the 18-yard box."

John Motson during USA 94.

Germanshepherd · Jun 12, 2003

"Football is a game in which 22 men run round after a ball, and at the end Germany win."

Gary Lineker, England

Bauser · Jun 12, 2003

"Nothing in the whole world is more fair and honest than a football league table at the end of the season."

- Ivar Hoff (TV-commentator)

argentine soccer fan · Jun 12, 2003

This from Maradona:

'God makes me play well. That is why I always make the sign of the cross when I walk out on the pitch. I feel I would be betraying him if I didn't.

Here are some others about Diego:

From Michel Platini:

'What Zidane can do with a football, Maradona could do with an orange' Michel Platini

From sir Bobby Robson

'With Maradona, Arsenal could have won the World Cup'.

(Note: Arsenal was not doing well at the time).

From English manager Sir Alf Ramsey

'Pele had nearly everything. Maradona has everything. He works harder, does more and is more skillful. Trouble is that he'll be remember for another reason. He bends the rules to suit himself'

From Kevin Keegan:

'I don't think there is anybody bigger or smaller than Maradona.'

sinner78 · Jun 12, 2003

"plez plez give me some methadone"

maradona checks into cuban drugs clinic

Matt Clark · Jun 12, 2003

"Han Tekeeela! Hi need Tekeela!"

Matt Clark · Jun 12, 2003

The countdown to "spittle-flecked, foam-mouthed, bug-eyed, comically over-emotional rant from south american gentleman" starts now ...

Doc_Aeppler · Jun 12, 2003

some kinda funny ones

Franz Beckenbauer: "The swedes aren't dutch, you could see that quite well!"

Norbert Nachtweih (about Dieter Hoeneß): "He jumps so high, when he comes down there's snow on his head!"

Andi Möller: "Milan, Madrid, doesn't matter, the main thing is it's spain!!"

Jan Aage Fjörtoft (about his new coach Felix Magath, known to make very hard practice, and hired to save frankfurt from being relegated): "I dont know if he could have saved the titanic, but at least everybody on board would have been fit!"

ROM2 · Jun 12, 2003

"Wot the defender need to do is get right up the strikers backside" - soccer pundit

AFCA · Jun 13, 2003

"Voetbal is oorlog" - Rinus Michels

(Football is war)

"Hun verdediging is geitenkaas" - Johan Cruyff.

What he meant to say was "Their defence was 'gatenkaas' (the cheese with all the holes in it)... but what he said was "Their defence is goat cheese".

BadReligion · Jun 13, 2003

Originally posted by sinner_ronald_monk
"plez plez give me some methadone"

maradona checks into cuban drugs clinic
Click to expand...

Classic Maradona. My favorite one is

"They let in the people who dropped the atomic bomb but they won't let diego in"

Diego on World Cup 2002.

His comments about the english are pretty funny as well, especially the one where he said all the english players had square feet before the England- Argentina game at WC2002. What a junkie.

AvidSinger · Jun 13, 2003

Originally posted by AFCA
[Bbut what he said was "Their defence is goat cheese". [/B]
Click to expand...

He said their defense is ba-a-a-a-a-a-a-d.

usscouse · Jun 13, 2003

Originally posted by Germanshepherd
"Football is a game in which 22 men run round after a ball, and at the end Germany win."

Gary Lineker, England
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Germany 1 - 5 England

"I was the best manager in Britain because I was never devious or cheated anyone.
I'd break my wife's legs if I played against her, but I'd never cheat her."
Bill Shankly

Germanshepherd · Jun 13, 2003

Originally posted by usscouse
Germany 1 - 5 England

Click to expand...

England - Germany 0 - 1

Last game in historic WEMBLEY!

-----

Albert Camus: "All that I know most surely about morality and obligations, I owe to football."

Bilbao2Brooklyn · Jun 13, 2003

"Rugby is a Thugs sport played by Gentlemen, and Football is a Gentlemens sport played by Thugs"

I don't know who said that.

usscouse · Jun 13, 2003

Originally posted by Bilbao2Brooklyn
"Rugby is a Thugs sport played by Gentlemen, and Football is a Gentlemens sport played by Thugs"

I don't know who said that.
Click to expand...

Some thug..

Real Ray · Jun 14, 2003

He cannot kick with his left foot, he cannot head a ball, he cannot tackle and he doesn't score many goals. Apart form that, he's all right.
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--George Best on David Beckham