I want to successfully make the transition from a life in professional sports to another life, without running into major upheavals.

Complaining and arguing will not help. We are fully concentrating on the game against the Czechs.

I am firmly convinced that you shouldn't necessarily emphasize hedonism, especially at the beginning of a career, but should instead focus entirely on performance.

I've never really seen myself in the role of the victim.

It looked pretty wild, but I was actually in control of myself. I've never really injured anyone throughout my career.

The realization that you're not always standing down there on the field merely to win, to be successful, was very liberating. One can be successful by helping the team, the other players. All of a sudden I felt the kind of empathy for people that I hadn't felt before.

Messi is undoubtedly a gifted footballer, like Maradona and Pele, and he's playing for the best club side in the world at the moment. He's successful and he's winning trophies, so it's only logical that he'll be voted the best player in the world.