"I like to think of myself as a director, on the pitch and in life"

"For me, it's always better to keep chasing down the guy in front and maybe finish second, rather than stopping altoge…"

"I'm a bit of a wandering gypsy on the pitch. A midfielder constantly on the lookout for an unspoilt corner where I ca…"

"I strike dead balls alla Pirlo. Each shot bears my name and they're all my children."

"Swearing's my release, and the one weapon I have to defend myself against destiny when it elects to strike without pity."

"If I look in the mirror when I get up, or before going to bed a night, i see a man of average ugliness...But I also s…"

"I don't feel pressure. I don't give a toss about it. I spent the afternoon of Sunday, July 9, 2006 in Berlin sleeping…"

"I've got a fair few kilometres under my belt, but it's the short distances that wear me out. They're tests of your me…"

"I thought about quitting after Istanbul because nothing made sense any more...I no longer felt like a man. All of a s…"

"I perceive the game in a different way. It's a question of viewpoints, of having a wide field of vision. Being able t…"