The Week in Quotes

Published on: 27 October 2018

“Mr. Bonucci and Mr. Chiellini could go to Harvard University to give classes about how to be a central defender. Fantastic, absolutely fantastic. It is a team that has everything - they have talent everywhere, all over the pitch. So it was a really difficult match for us.”
Following their UEFA Champions League defeat to Juventus on Tuesday, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho praised the performances of the Italian club’s centre-back pairing of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini during his post-match press conference at Old Trafford

"When I have to stop? That is probably at the end of this season. I will be 36 years old and will have been a professional for 18 years. From the age of five, I've only been involved in football."
In an interview with Dutch daily Algemeen Dagblad, former Netherlands forward Robin van Persie revealed he is likely to hang up his boots with his current club Feyenoord at the end of the season

“When the attack happened, I was at home with my son, and my wife and daughters were there - they were at the arena. She called me but the line broke immediately. She told me ‘something happened and we are running, but I don't know what happened’ and the line broke. We tried to call her again and it didn't work; we went to the arena, and after five or six minutes, she rang again and said: ‘We are out, we're coming back home.’ At the end, we were lucky. Many people suffered, and we were lucky. Life is like this. We were in a better position than many unfortunate ones.”
In an extensive interview with BBC Radio 5 live, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola revealed how his wife and daughter were caught up in the Manchester Arena attack after attending an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017

Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil reveals who he thinks are the two best players he has encountered in world football

"You couldn't have imagined that. You have to say: a great compliment to the group because it is not commonplace that you score four goals against Atletico. We suffered a lot, especially in the second half. We hardly had any possession there and you need possession against that Atletico side. We only managed that again after minute 60 or 65, then you could see that we can also play football. It’s not only the result, but how we played was very convincing.”
Following their 4-0 home victory over Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, Germany forward Marco Reus was full of praise for the way his Borussia Dortmund side performed against their Spanish opponents on Wednesday

"Of course, I want to win this year's AFC Champions League. I think all players, both new faces and those playing at Japan 2016 and the staff of Kashima Antlers want to reach the Club World Cup for a second time."
Kashima Antlers forward Yuma Suzuki tells FIFA.com of his desire to return to the FIFA Club World Cup with the Japanese giants

“This season, everybody thought that Persepolis would be much weaker than last year, but this team continues to show in difficult situations they work even harder together. I hope we can go on to beat a team from the east of Asia to add to all the teams we’ve beaten from the west. I think it’s now a couple of decades since an Iranian side has been champions of Asia. But I think this year could be the time and it can be our gift to the people.”
Having scored the decisive goal in Tuesday’s AFC Champions League semi-final, second leg, against Qatar’s Al Sadd, Persepolis midfielder Siamak Nemati believes the time has come for a club from IR Iran to be crowned Asian champions again

Having been linked with a return to the English Premier League, LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic discusses a possible move to West Ham United alongside British television personality and West Ham fan James Corden

“Now it is everyone’s dream in South Africa to qualify for the World Cup. It would not just change our lives, but every South African’s life.”
In an interview with FIFA.com, South Africa midfielder Refiloe 'Fifi' Jane underlined the impact that qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019â„¢ would have on her country

“It was hard for me to score again. It wasn’t going right for me. I am happy to return in a moment as important as a semi-final. I’ve been working after many setbacks – I still have tendinitis, the strain. Those blows can crush you, but then this can also happen. I liked the second goal a lot because of the touch, but I prefer the first. It was a relief for me to score again after so long, more so in a semi-final.”
Scoring twice as a substitute in Wednesday’s Copa Libertadores semi-final first leg against Brazilian club Palmeiras, Boca Juniors forward Dario Benedetto expressed his relief at returning from a lengthy injury spell and getting back on the scoresheet for the first time since November 2017

“We’re really motivated but also under a little pressure because our group isn’t going to be easy and any of the teams could make things hard for us. Even if people are saying that we’ll start as favourites, the team is very level-headed.”
Spain winger Eva Navarro tells FIFA.com that her focus is on winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup Uruguay 2018 title with La Rojita

"I'm worried, disappointed and angry, especially with myself. I do not think about my situation, I'm thinking about how to solve this problem. I'm the first person responsible for this situation, I'm bound by the results. I train a great club and it is right for me to take responsibility.”
AC Milan head coach Gennaro Gattuso gives an honest assessment of his team’s recent performances after the Italian club followed a derby defeat to city rivals Inter Milan with a home loss to Spanish side Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League

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Source: fifa.com

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