The Footy Section

Georgina Rodríguez: “Cristiano wakes up at 6 a.m. He gets up and works out. He drinks plenty of water in the morning because he believes starting a new day requires a strong and healthy body. Then he rests for about an hour and a half, has breakfast, usually fruit, cheese, and eggs, and goes back to the gym. He lifts weights for two hours, then takes a break. In the afternoon, he relaxes with his family or friends. Finally, before going to bed, he goes for a swim, as he thinks it’s a great warm down before sleeping.”

Taribo West 🇳🇬: "I was better than Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta, but the coach (Alberto Zaccheroni) always relied on them. We all know why. When I was called to start due to Maldini's injury, I played well and even received some compliments, but someone wasn’t happy, and I ended up being sidelined again. Then they told me that Maldini had a sort of 'godfather' and that no one could take his starting spot. I also discussed this with Massimo Moratti when I was at Inter Milan. I’ve always had a very good relationship with him, and he confirmed those rumours, telling me that such things were normal occurrences in certain clubs. I was surprised to hear that Maldini had to play no matter what. They told me so many lies to force me out. They even came to say I had a heart condition, but I could play four consecutive matches and still be considered the best player on the field. And yet, AC Milan refused to renew my contract at the end of the season."

Pedro Rodríguez: "When we were going to play the final against Manchester United, former FC Barcelona coach Terry Venables said: ‘Lionel Messi can’t score with his head, he only relies on one leg.’ But Pep Guardiola used that as a tactic to motivate Leo Messi, who was a monster in those days under Pep’s command. He approached him in the locker room before the match and said: ‘Have you heard what they’re saying about you? That you can’t score with your head. Yes, it’s true, and even so, you’re the best. There are players who play with both feet and score headers, but they haven’t reached your level nor are they the best. Go out there and show them who you are.’ But the funny thing is that Messi scored a header. What justice and what a strange coincidence. Even Guardiola told us after the match: ‘I’m really surprised. Is he a real player or a programmed robot that can do everything? He’s extraordinary.’ And he said to Messi: ‘You did it, you did it.’ Even Messi told us: ‘I just jumped and found the ball in the net.’ But what I love about Messi is that he doesn’t care. When it comes to criticism, he always tells us: ‘Everyone has the right to say what they want. I just want to play football.’ Messi is an exceptional legend, and playing by his side was a pleasure and an experience I will never forget."

Never forget when Ronaldinho stopped a match to applaud his opponent’s play. At his peak, Ronaldinho was pure magic with the ball at his feet. Playing for Barcelona, he dazzled in every game, but there was one moment that stunned everyone. During a match against Villarreal, Juan Román Riquelme, a magician in his own right, pulled off a brilliant move that left Barça’s defenders speechless. Ronaldinho, instead of continuing to play, stopped, looked at Riquelme, and started clapping. The crowd joined in, and the Brazilian’s smile showed why football was his passion, not just a job.

THIERRY HENRY: “I’m going to say something, and as everyone knows, I’m very much a Barça guy. We have to give a lot of credit to Real Madrid. Nobody saw this coming (the rout against Manchester City), and nobody imagined Fede Valverde scoring a hat trick. I want to talk about the effort from the whole team. Everyone was defending for everyone (…) I don’t know what they put in that jersey, I really don’t know. Maybe if I put on a Real Madrid shirt I’ll get my hair back, because they put something in it. When they play in the Champions League, I don’t know what they put in it… it feels like the players are different. We have to give them credit. Of all the teams in the first leg of the Round of 16, I didn’t expect to see this from Real Madrid. And as much as it hurts me to say it, well done.”

Not Luis Suárez, not Zlatan Ibrahimović, not Fernando Torres ❌ Diego Milito was the only No. 9 in the modern era to win a major best player in Europe award ahead of both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in their prime. The Argentine won the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award in 2010 after a sensational season with Inter Milan, scoring 30 goals and netting a brace in the Champions League final to secure the treble. An achievement that still doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

Cafu: “Portugal has the best players at the top clubs in Europe. Individually, no one is better than Portugal. What Portugal is missing is unity—knowing who they’re playing for, how, and why. That’s the only way they’ll win the World Cup. That’s how we played in 2002. We said: ‘Let’s play for Ronaldo and Rivaldo.’ That was it. The group decided, and from there, everything worked. Once Portugal figures that out, they’ll be unstoppable.”

RUUD GULLIT: “I remember the first time I faced Maradona. Donadoni and Ancelotti tried to take the ball from him and they couldn’t. He was incredibly strong and technically amazing. On top of that, he was a leader, always talking to his teammates to push them to give more. They tried to take him out of the game with kicks and, well, once they managed, when Goikoetxea injured him. They couldn’t stop him. Imagine if he had today’s protection. The video, the cameras and all that. They wouldn’t have been able to stop him. I faced him and I can say he was the best in history.”

Gonzalo Higuaín: "When we lost the World Cup final in 2014, in the dressing room, no one spoke to me because of the missed opportunity. Some were looking at me angrily. I felt guilty, but Lionel Messi surprised me with a hug and said to me, “It’s okay, this is football. We have reached the final. We are champions.” Then I was reported that the coach did not want me back in the national team, but Messi intervened and spoke to the coach and told him that he had no fault in all of this. We all lose in football, we are not perfect. Then the coach called on me to play in the matches. If it were not Messi, I would have felt guilty until today. I am happy for him that he won the World Cup. He deserves it. He has a great heart."

Martin Braithwaite: “What strikes me is the people living on the streets. The difference between rich and poor... Every day I feel sad when I go to our training sessions because I see things I’ve never seen in my life. In Denmark, that doesn’t exist. And I always ask myself what we can do to help, as individuals and as a country, because to me, these things cannot happen. We have to find a way to improve that; to make our society a little more equal.”

Was Carlo Ancelotti born old? He has looked the same for the last 30 years 😭

Kevin De Bruyne 🗣: "When I was 14, I left my parents to join KRC Genk training centre. The first year I ended up in a large boarding school, where you sleep with everyone. Fortunately, the second year, I was with a host family. But things didn't go as planned. I'm someone who is fine on my own, I'm kind of shy. I thought everything was fine, at the end of the year, everything was going well. My foster parents never had to go to school for problems, academic or disciplinary. I said goodbye to them without knowing what was going to happen. Then one day I come home and my parents were sad, they were crying, I asked, 'what's wrong?', And there they told me that my host family didn't want more of me. I asked them why and they said it was 'because of who you are'. I did not understand. 'You are difficult to pin down, you are very calm. You have trouble interacting with the other children. They just find you difficult'. It's not nice to hear that when you're 15 or 16. That day, I kicked the ball against a wall for hours. I told myself that everything was going to be fine, and that in a few months I would be in the first team and that I would no longer experience failure. When I came back after the summer, I was in the B team and I told my parents that in two months I will be in the first team. I trained like crazy, I had fire in me. It was as if I had gone mad. I remember we were playing on a Friday night, I was a substitute. I came on in the second half and I scored five goals. That day changed my history in the club and I joined the first team."

Paulinho: “Lionel Messi walked up to me. We were playing a friendly against Argentina in Australia. The ref had just called a foul for us, and I was standing next to the ball with Willian. "Suddenly, Leo comes over, looks me straight in the eyes, and says: ‘So… are we going to FC Barcelona or not?’ Just like that. No explanation, nothing. He turned around and walked away. I didn’t even have time to think. I just said, ‘If you want to take me, I’m going!’" "At the time, I was playing in the Chinese Super League for Guangzhou Evergrande, and nobody would believe Barcelona was interested in me. I thought Messi was joking, like he was trying to mess with my head to throw me off during the match. But it was just a friendly, so I started to doubt it." "After the game I called my agent and said, ‘Boss, for the love of God, I’m going crazy! Tell me if this is real or not!’ I was so desperate I even thought about texting Neymar to see if he knew anything. A month later, my agent called and said, ‘The deal is done. You have to come to Barcelona to sign the papers.’”

RAMIRES: "There were 12 people living in my house and most days we had nothing to eat. I worked from 8 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon as a construction assistant. Then I’d rush home to grab my bike because training started at 4:30. But I felt happy. I’d get to training and I wasn’t tired, I felt nothing. When I put on my boots and stepped onto the field, I felt better than I did at home. I still remember when Cruzeiro signed me. I couldn’t believe it, I was in shock and kept thinking: 'Not long ago I was a construction worker and now I’m here.'"

ROBERTO CARLOS: "The first time I faced Messi, I was completely amazed. I couldn’t help but go over to Ronaldinho and say, ‘Ronaldinho, you should be worried about your number, because this kid is truly terrifying and he’s going to take it from you soon.’ Ronaldinho, with a smile on his face, replied: ‘I’m his teacher, and for me, this is a real pleasure.’ But I told him, ‘Teacher? I think you’ll be the one learning from him in the future.’ Normally, I’d watch Ronaldinho and Eto’o shine in attack, but that day, all I could see was a young guy wearing number 30, stealing the spotlight from every player on the field. Messi kept evolving year after year in an incredible way. He became the pride of Barcelona, carrying both the club and the Argentina national team to new heights. That’s why, without a doubt, he’s the greatest of all time."

Javier Zanetti: “An anecdote with Mourinho? He called me before anyone else when he took over at Inter. I was in Rome, and my phone rang with a Portuguese country code.” “I answered, and he said: ‘Hello Javier, this is José Mourinho. I’ve just signed with Inter, and I’m your new coach. You’re going to be my captain. I can’t wait to start working together, and sorry for my Italian.’” “He spoke perfect Italian and hadn’t even coached in Italy yet. That’s when I realised how prepared and committed he was, and it really impressed me. ‘This guy is the real deal,’ I thought at that moment.”

On 26 March 2014, Víctor Valdés suffered a serious knee injury that left the entire Camp Nou in silence. The medical update confirmed the worst: an ACL injury. The FC Barcelona goalkeeper went on to miss the remainder of the season and the World Cup. More than a year later, Valdés reflected on the moment. "There was a foul and as a captain I put pressure on the referee, who had just called a penalty for a foul outside the area in another game. The referee agreed with me and finally gave a free kick. That changed my life. If it had been a penalty, I wouldn't have been injured", he recalled. The injury also had a profound mental impact. He stepped away from the spotlight for a period and travelled to Augsburg for specialised treatment. During that time, he found himself completely alone. "I went back to pay for a coffee, to use coins. I would buy my streetcar ticket and go by myself with my crutches. I was ALONE again." The most difficult part came when Barcelona chose not to renew his contract, leaving him a free agent after more than a decade at the club. "My farewell to Barça was not the desired one. After an injury like that, people treat you like a handicapped person and push you aside because they don't think you're worth anything anymore. Everything I've been through has taught me that you have to let go of those who leave you alone."

Jorginho: “Eden Hazard was ridiculous. Truly ridiculous. My first Premier League match was away against Huddersfield. I thought, ‘this could be a good game for me.’ In the first five minutes I didn’t even touch the ball. Back and forth, and I was like, ‘what’s going on here?’ Eden was on the bench. And when he came on, he did it with that attitude that nothing matters, that he just wants to enjoy himself. He got the ball, and I thought he was going to lose it, so I tried to stay close to win it back quickly. But he turned, like he always does. And then he started running and dribbling. In the end, he left Pedro through on goal and he scored. It was the very first ball he touched. I couldn’t believe it. From that moment on, every ball I received, I was like: ‘where’s Hazard?’ I was looking for him to give him every pass.”

Ronaldinho: "The difference between Messi and Yamal? Oh, a beautiful question! Messi and Yamal are both rare talents, but they are like two different paintings - each painted in its own unique way. Messi? He is magic himself, that dwarf who turned the impossible into routine. His vision, his shooting, his humility... everything about him makes him greater than ever before. His years of giving have made us accustomed to fantasy, but make no mistake - what he does is not normal, even for the greatest talents. As for Lamine Yamal, he is that new flash that reminds us of the beauty of youth and boldness. He has the lightness, creativity, and innocence in his game that delights us. But he is still at the beginning of the road, learning, growing... He needs to be left to write his story without comparisons that pressure him. Comparison is unfair to both of them. Messi is an unrepeatable legend, and Yamal is a star seeking his glory. The press should enjoy his talent without burdening him with comparisons to those who are incomparable! Let Yamal dream, fall, and rise, as Messi did before him. In the end, every great person has his own path. Messi is on another level, and Yamal needs his space to be He is the same, no one else's shadow!"

Nico Otamendi, on his childhood at home and the sacrifices of his mother: "When things don’t go your way, you have to try again the next day and never give up. Who taught me that? My mom. She always makes me emotional — she’s everything to me. She was the one who always waited for me at the bus stop, who gave me a packed meal so I could go train. I’d leave at 7 in the morning for school, come home at noon, she’d have another meal ready, and I wouldn’t return until 9:30 at night because we trained at Liniers. Every day. It was very hard. But she was always there. Sometimes I didn’t want to ask her for money because I knew how difficult it was for her to give it to me, that we were struggling. I’d go to the club and maybe they’d give me a snack and some chocolate milk… I’d come home without spending that money so that the next day she wouldn’t have to give it to me again. All of that — later being able to give it back to her — for me was like saying: ‘Thank you for the sacrifice, for always being there.’ I will be eternally grateful to her."

Mesut Özil: "I was very sad when I left Madrid. I remember at the airport, the moment the plane took off, tears fell from my eyes..." "That was the moment I realised it was over. I had a great time during my three years at Real Madrid and was very happy." "But things happened. Suddenly, at the start of that season, I wasn’t getting many minutes anymore, and a conflict arose between Mr. Florentino Pérez and my father, who was also my agent!" "We had to look for a new club. It was tough for me. I wish we could have handled the situation differently at the time."