Quotes

Diego Maradona’s verbal influence has only increased since the heights of his playing days — the cult of his personality dictating that many give credence to his ill-thought-out claims. On Thursday, Maradona should’ve put his foot in his mouth once again when discussing the leadership qualities of his Argentine compatriot, Lionel Messi.

Security at Euro 2016 is of the utmost importance to France and the tournament’s organizers, but the reality of today’s age means that the risk of a terrorist threat at the competition remains very real. Portugal, because of the global stature of Cristiano Ronaldo, have been identified as one of the more high-risk teams, and their coach Fernando Santos acknowledged the threat after his side’s friendly defeat to England on Thursday.  

Arsene Wenger is going to be retiring as the manager of Arsenal at some point. I would guess that if he wins the title this next season, it will be his last. And when he does go the game will lose one of the greatest minds, and souls, to ever grace it.

In the interview you are about to watch, Wenger talks a lot about the mind and the soul; how a great manager has to have more than just good ideas, but the courage to stand up for what he believes in as well. 

Cristiano Ronaldo has made it very clear that he would like to stay at Real Madrid for the rest of his career. 

The Real Madrid star has been linked to a number of different clubs throughout his career, with few destinations proving to be too unrealistic to merit speculation. MLS was a reported possibility, as well as Manchester United, PSG, and even the Chinese Super League.

Gareth Bale has stated that he believes no one on Atletico Madrid’s roster could make the starting XI of Real Madrid ahead of Real and Atletico’s clash in the Champions League final on Saturday. 

Andrea Pirlo criticized MLS and American soccer, saying that there is a cultural void that holds American players back. 

New York City FC midfielder Andrea Pirlo had some critical comments for MLS and American soccer culture in the lead up to NYCFC vs NY Red Bulls.

Speaking to Reuters at an MLS promotional event last Friday, he commented on a “cultural void” that he believes exists in American soccer:

Now that the pomp and circumstance of Barcelona’s Copa del Rey win over Sevilla has subsided, Lionel Messi has posted a message to Facebook that speaks to his appreciation of how he and his teammates suffered and persevered in order to accomplish their goals. 

Below we have compiled a list of the best soccer quotes that were either said by a player or coach, or were just great quotes that captured the beautiful game. Some are motivational, some are controversial, and some are just plain awesome. If you have a soccer quote that you would like to share, or if you create your own soccer quote send it to us at photos@the18.com. You can also tag us on Instagram or Twitter by using our handle: @the18com

This list will always be updating.