Quotes About Football

If you play in France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football, especially when you play in England. Every game is very difficult.

What's the problem that people have here in Spain with Maradona and Messi? They spend the whole day comparing them.

Sometimes you have an exceptional international team, such as Spain in 2010, but club football is better.

I came to Spain to play and get more time on the pitch.

I'm very happy at Chelsea but I would like to return to Spain one day.

I had some other offers from other teams from Italy and Spain but when Chelsea came to get me, I did not think twice.

I'm sad to have left Spain because in my opinion LaLiga is an exceptional, unique and extraordinary league.

I know the football and the training in Italy are different to Spain, but I'm ready.

I never played in Spain. To play for Real Madrid or Barcelona would be great.

Fundamentally, England, Spain and Germany were the relevant leagues I could see myself playing football in.

The Scottish league was good for me to get fully fit, but my goal was always to play in England or Spain because I consider those two competitions to be the best in the world.

If football is your passion in life and you would rather play football for 20 years and have a shortened life span, that's your choice.

When I was a little boy, my dream was to play in Spanish football, which I've done, and then it was the Premier League, so it's all worked out OK.

I don't think City play a Brazilian style - it is more Spanish the way we play here.

Both of my parents sacrificed a lot. My dad, Tero, would drive me to training every single day. My mum, Teija, came to Seville to help me. She did everything for me. It was such a big place to go at 17. Even if you can speak English, it doesn't matter there. It was all Spanish. They don't do English.

In the Spanish league I root for Barcelona and in the Premier League I root for Manchester United.

You see how Spanish, Italians, Portuguese play football. I don't say they are perfect, I say English football has a few things to learn from them in the same way they have a lot of things to learn from English football.

Of course I would like to return to Spanish football, but I promised myself I would be a success in England.

I always play with long sleeves because Beckham always did it. He is my idol. He had a lot of class both on the pitch and outside. Nobody had his right foot. I would love to speak with him, but in Spanish because I don't speak English.

In England, the referees don't call many fouls, as opposed to Spanish football. Consequently, you must be really strong all through the 90 minutes.

Lots of people think that the Premier League would be good for me, but my mum is Spanish, and I really have that dream to play over there.

The Spanish love their paella, and they love their jamon. And they love their football.

Spanish League is very tough, especially away matches.

For me, the Bundesliga is a stronger competition than the English and Spanish leagues.