"Every trainer talks about movement, about running a lot. I say don't run so much. Football is a game you play with your brain. You have to be in the right place at the right moment, not too early, not too late."

"4-5-1? Never. It was always 4-3-3 for me as a player and as manager, just like [Frank] Rijkaard at Barcelona. With 4-3-3, it's much easier to make combinations going forward. With only one forward, who is he going to pass to? Who is he going to make combinations with? Football is about having the best offensive play possible. I always like to play offensive football and nobody will convince me otherwise."

"We're going to hunt for Jews"

"Michelle Pfeiffer. Dat vind ik een lekker wijf. Maar ik moest genoegen nemen met Miss Gouda 1962."

"Die hbs-scholier die we hebben heeft goede ideeën, maar komt niet geloofwaardig over. Ik denk dat er eerst een wijf overheen moet voor hij volwassen wordt."

"Ben ik nou degene die zo slim is, of zijn jullie zo dom? "Am I the one who is so smart, or are you so stupid?""

"Like my friend is saying the fans are saying that. No, the fans are saying "Louis Van Gaal's army! Louis Van Gaal's army!" So also the fans are satisfied with Louis Van Gaal and my players are also satisfied with me"

"Het kan een schat van een man zijn, maar het kan ook een kreng zijn. Want dit doet ie dus. "He can be a charming man, but he can be quite nasty too. Because this is what he does." (about Marco van Basten after the fall-out with Mark van Bommel)"

"Dat mag jij vinden want daarom ben je een volwassen man. "You're free to think that way, that's why you're a grown man." (to a reporter on December 31, 2006, after the league match between AZ and Roda JC)"

"Hier bij Ajax ligt mijn hart, een club fascinerend, altijd apart. Door velen genoemd naar godenzonen, voor mij de bakermat van voetbaliconen. Mijn herinneringen gaan terug naar De Meer, ook daar heerste een bijzondere sfeer. Nu ga ik mijn gevoelens weer achterna, en treed technisch toe in de Arena. In mijn levensfase is dit een nieuwe kans, en mijn jeugdliefde krijgt een extra stimulans. En daarom klinkt het vol overgave uit mijn mond, vandaag is de cirkel echt rond. Here with Ajax lies my heart, a club fascinating, always unique. By many named after sons of gods, for me the origin of football icons. My memories return to De Meer, there too was found a special atmosphere. Now I go after my feelings, and technically enter the Arena. In my life phase this is a new chance, and my childhood love gets an extra impulse. And that's why I state with full conviction, today the circle is really complete. (poem to commemorate his installation as technical director of AFC Ajax in October 2003)"

"Amigos de la prensa, yo me voy. Felicidades. "Friends of the press, I'm going. Congratulations." (press conference on May 20, 2000 about his departure from FC Barcelona)"

"You always expect to do well at a club like this in big competitions and we haven't done that. That is a disappointment to the newcomers like me who haven't tasted success here and also to those who've been here longer and won things in the past. We have to address that."

""Bergkamp. He had the finest technique [of all Dutch players]." — Guus Hiddink"

""Dennis is the best player I have ever played with as a partner. It is a dream for a striker to have him in the team with you." — Thierry Henry"

""He's the messiah. We told him to get us into Europe when he joined and that's exactly what he did." — Ian Wright on his former strike partner"

""If Ryan Giggs is worth 20 million, Dennis Bergkamp is worth 100 million." — Marco van Basten."