The Week in Quotes - WORLD FOOTBALL
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"There will be no rest tonight. Anyone who gets home before five in the morning gets fined."
Real Betis right winger Joaquin talks about his expectations to party after his club's 5-3 win at the Sanchez Pizjuan against rivals Sevilla
"My wife told me that if I score a hat-trick this year I get a dog, so I was trying to get the penalty."
Nottingham Forest defender Eric Lichaj, who scored a brace in his club's 4-2 win over Arsenal, tells BT Sport about a motivation for wanting to score a hat-trick against the FA Cup holders
The American got his wish in the end
"I leave Liverpool because Barcelona is a dream for me. Liverpool was a dream that I was fortunate enough to realise and I have given five years of my life to it. A career on the pitch only lasts for so long and to play for Barcelona as well as Liverpool is something I want to experience and enjoy while I am blessed enough to be able to do so. I hope the supporters understand that choosing to experience something new is not about diminishing their importance to me or the club’s importance. Nothing will ever diminish that in my heart."
Philippe Coutinho writes a farewell message to Liverpool supporters on Instagram after completing his transfer to Barcelona
Barcelona forward Luis Suarez welcomes new signing and former Liverpool team-mate Philippe Coutinho to the club
"I will always play my heart out and hope to continue to grow (as a player)."
Kazuyoshi Miura, who turns 51 next month, speaks with Kyodo news agency after signing a new contract with Japanese second division club Yokohama FC
"Messi understands everything. It's a shame that they compare him with anyone else. Messi masters everything: the space, the time, where his team-mate is and his opponent. Before he used to unbalance teams with ability and his strength. Now he does it naturally: he draws you in. He sees he has a marker and he knows that the marker is afraid, waits for another to come and then he waits for just the right moment to pass it. I saw that with LeBron James. He draws you in until he has someone free. We have worked on this since we were kids, to know where the space is and where the free man is. Even Ter Stegen knows it."
Former Barcelona midfielder Xavi talks with El Pais about Lionel Messi's qualities
"Zinedine Zidane isn't a player at Real Madrid anymore. That Zidane no longer exists. Now it's down to Zinedine Zidane the coach to carve out a career. I'm not protected by what I've done as a player at this club. I know that one day it [the coach's job] will come to an end at Real Madrid, so I make the most of it and I do everything I can to be successful. I say to myself, 'if I've got ten days left here, then I'm going to live those ten days to the max; if it's six months, I'll live those six months to the max'. I don't think beyond that. I know I won't stay [in the job] for ten years."
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane speaks with France Football about his future at the club
"From a motivational side, you get to that point in your career where you’re starting to feel ready for a new challenge, and the stars sort of aligned in some ways that some opportunities were presented in front of us… They were very good opportunities. I had some tough decisions to make and that led towards keeping a future here in Canada. I’d always sort of talked about moving into the men’s game, and one of those opportunities came up, and a pretty prestigious opportunity came up on the women’s side. That was a big decision, as well. It’s been a crazy two months for us… [but] I felt I was ready for a new challenge, and this is where it’s ended up. I’m bloody excited."
John Herdman speaks in a one-on-one interview with Sportsnet after being announced as the new head coach of the Canadian men's national team after spending over six years in charge of the women's national team in the same country
"There was a lack of sleep, lack of eating, lack of drinking, it was probably the worst 48 hours you could wish for to prepare for a game like that. It went against all research for the performance we put in against Germany, but that’s how special that group of people was, that’s mental toughness."
England defender Laura Bassett speaks with These Football Times about her experience of scoring an own goal in the semi-finals of the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 and turning around to eventually defeat Germany in the match for third place
"I missed the adrenaline before playing, the butterflies when you are about to go on the pitch. When you’re in the tunnel of La Bombonera, the emotion and adrenaline all over your body, that is what I missed most."
Carlos Tevez speaks with the press after completing his return to Boca Juniors
"Pep Guardiola said to me that we played better than most of the Premier League teams that come to Man City.”
Bristol City manager Lee Johnson speaks after his Championship side's narrow 2-1 defeat by Premier League leaders Manchester City in the League Cup
"Personally, I always think that players like Diego Forlan are fantastic. He was the complete striker, and that’s extremely important these days. [Robert] Lewandowski, for example, has something special, a little bit of everything and a whole host of strengths. You constantly need to keep adapting, as you could be facing three, four or even five at the back. That means you always have to play a little differently, and having many different qualities makes you more unpredictable. Aerial ability and a solid right foot aren’t enough anymore."
Speaking in an exclusive interview with FIFA.com, FIFA World Cup™ all-time top scorer Miroslav Klose talks about what he thinks makes the complete forward in the modern game
"Brazilian Ronaldo. His ability, his all-round game was incredible. He had everything: pace, power, finishing, skills, passing. I didn't get to watch a lot of him of TV growing up but when I've watched YouTube and highlights of clips from the past, I'd have loved to have played alongside him."
England and Tottenham Hotspur forward Harry Kane speaks with ESPN Brasil about the striker he would have loved to partner with
"If I could compare myself to any footballer it would be PSG star Neymar. He scores goals, man. I'm glad to see that he's happy now [after joining Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona]. Neymar is my favourite player – he's my boy."
Point guard for National Basketball Association club Boston Celtics Kyrie Irving likens himself to Neymar, speaking with Sportsmail
New Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal uses a metaphor when asked to give any transfer updates at the club