Quotes

"I usually dig the single-digit numbers, but No2 is retired. I'm going to change it up and wear No10. I'm going to wear it for Messi, my favourite soccer player. I've been playing a lot of FIFA lately and watching the games. He's the best little guy to do it and I've got to be the best little guy to do it at No10 in the NBA. That's my goal."
Nate Robinson, the NBA’s first three-time Slam Dunk champion, following his move to the Denver Nuggets, whose No2 jersey was retired in honour of the legendary Alex English

“Because they’re tired. They’re the least fresh of any of the competing national sides, because their league doesn’t have a break. It’s like when you’re driving a car: if you stop halfway to put fuel in then you’ll definitely get where you want to go, but if you don’t then there’s always the chance you’ll be running on empty before you reach your goal. In my opinion, the football played in the first half of the English season is much better than in the second half. And because of that, if you want to be a competitive team in the Premier League, you need a really big squad, which is a luxury you don’t get with the national team.”
Fabio Capello to FIFA.com on why England underperform at major tournaments

“The closer the World Cup gets, the more the anxiety rises. I’m very happy to have been part of this triumphant Confederations Cup squad, but I know I have to kill a lion every day and continue to prove that I deserve a spot in the Brazil team [in 2014].”
Fred

"Mourinho can’t deal with losing. He is simply not compatible with it. After a loss it’s very difficult to work with him the following day.”
Ricardo Carvalho

"It's a space for the players – it's their area. In the dressing room they joke around, they are allowed to talk about anything without fear that I'm breathing down their necks. They can also speak badly about me."
Pep Guardiola on moving his office away from the Allianz Arena dressing room so that his charges can feel at ease

“People like to compare Neymar with Messi, but Messi already has years of experience. So does Cristiano Ronaldo, who’s a forward who scores more goals. But, in the future, I think Neymar will be even better.”
Pele

“I'd rather Gareth Bale stuck around. That is a lot of money, but for me you can't replace a player like that. You want to keep guys like that. I think we can afford to sign players and keep him. It's going to be more difficult [to succeed] if you lose him.”
Steve Nash, NBA superstar and Tottenham Hotspur fan