Andrea Pirlo

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

"The perfect moment to let your hair down is usually after a triumph, because defeats deserve a different kind of reaction...When you lose, it's all about thinking and reflecting. When you win, burping…"

"There are always lessons to be found in the darkest moments. It's a moral obligation to dig deep and find that little glimmer of hope or pearl of wisdom. You might hit upon an elegant phrase that stay…"

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

"The best ideas come about in moments of total concentration, a state you can reach when shitting."

"I thought about quitting after Istanbul because nothing made sense any more...I no longer felt like a man. All of a sudden, football had become the least important thing, precisely because it was the …"

"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 mental stamina, rather than your speed. For Neil Armstrong, it was walking on the sur…"

"When you're in love, it's time you need. When the feeling's gone, having an excuse can help."