"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 most important: a very painful contradiction. I didn't dare look in the mirror in case my reflection spat back at me. The only possible solution I could think of was to retire."

“Being part of a team that belongs to everyone makes me feel good and at peace with myself. A lot of the time, it's better than sex: it lasts longer and if it all falls flat, it can't just be your fault.”

“In this life, you're either a man or an actor, there's nothing in between.”

“Tears are a demonstration of who you are; an undeniable truth.”

“I perceive the game in a different way. It's a question of viewpoints, of having a wide field of vision. Being able to see the bigger picture.”

“Being a philosopher is to think, seek wisdom and have principles that guide and influence what you do. It's to give meaning to things, find your way in the world, believe that in the end, in every instance, good will overcome evil even if there's a bit of suffering along the way.”

“Swearing's my release, and the one weapon I have to defend myself against destiny when it elects to strike without pity.”