Sometimes you have to swallow the unswallowable.

I am not against being pragmatic, because it is pragmatic to make a good pass, not a bad one. If I have the ball, what do I do with it? Could anybody argue that a bad solution like just kicking it away is pragmatic just because, sometimes, it works by accident?

Any man who concentrates his energies totally on one passion is, by definition, someone who hurts the people close to him.

You weren’t world-class when Arsenal signed you.

I didn't know the English were good at swimming. I have been in this country for 12 years and I haven't seen a swimming pool.

I know how important it is to have a helping hand.

What makes him special? He has a mixture of physical talent and technical ability, as well as remarkable intelligence and above all a great passion for the game.