“You must wait until the end, and at the end of the season you can say it was a good or a bad season.” EndsWaitingSeasonsSoccer Author:Rafael Benitez
“Even before 2007, this half of a small island was the richest football country on earth. In 2005-2006 the Premiership's total revenue was about £1.4bn, 40 per cent more than its nearest rival, Italy's Serie A. That was before take-off. Now foreign television channels are sending so much cash that the Premiership is expected to take in nearly £1.8bn this season. Even the team that finishes bottom of the table (Wigan might be a good bet) will get £26.8m from TV. That's more than all of Argentine or Belgian football put together.” CountryMightEarthTogetherHalfTeamTelevisionFootballTvsSeasonsTablesBottomExpectedSoccerAnalysisIslandsCashCentsRevenueRivalsBelgiansWigan Author:Simon Kuper
“We played a whole season unbeaten but you did not see me every week jumping on the tables. Once it's over it's over and you do in the next one as well as you can. Plenty of managers who have won the Champions League will not be considered great managers.” WellsWholeNextWeekFootballSeasonsTablesPlentyManagersSoccerLeagueChampionGreat MenOver ItJumpingChairmanThe Next OneChampions LeagueGreat ManagersUnbeaten Author:Arsene Wenger
“It had not crossed my mind, but maybe it has Mourinho's because that is what Chelsea did two seasons ago to Xabi Alonso.” MindTwoFootballSeasonsManagersSoccerChairmanChelseaMourinho Author:Rafael Benitez
“You don't look for jobs. You don't phone up 10 clubs and say, Here I am. You are offered the job. I was in Benfica many years ago. I was leaving the training ground and I had a car after me. It went on for 10 minutes. Anyhow, he stopped and I stopped and he said, I'm from the Italian embassy. Ah yes, and what do you want? I want your phone number because Roma wants you as a manager next season. Three months later I was sitting on the bench in Roma. I don't think the rest of working society works like football.” ThinkingWantYearsLooksSaidJobsThreeNextNumbersMinutesCarFootballMonthsTrainingSittingYears AgoSeasonsLeavingPhonesClubsManagersSoccerItalianI Want YouChairmanBenchesHere I AmThree MonthsPhone NumbersEmbassySitting On The Bench Author:Sven-Goran Eriksson
“I played everything. I played lacrosse, baseball, hockey, soccer, track and field. I was a big believer that you played hockey in the winter and when the season was over you hung up your skates and you played something else.” BigsFieldsBaseballSeasonsWinterTrackBelieverSoccerOver YouHockeyHungSkatesTrack And FieldLacrosse Author:Wayne Gretzky
“I've had 14 bookings this season-eight of which were my fault, but seven of which were disputable.” SeasonsFaultsSevenEightSoccerFunny Soccer Author:Paul Gascoigne
“Iain Dowie famously coined the phrase 'bouncebackability' to describe Crystal Palace's ability to come from behind. But this is a typical manager's idea, so optimistic. What fans are interested in is 'throwawayability': which teams toss away hard-earned leads? Now we know that 'throwawayability' exists because we proved last season that 'bouncebackability' exists (although, hilariously, Palace don't have it) and 'throw-awayability' is the flip side of it.” KnowsIdeasHardLastsSidesAbilityBehindsTeamFansFootballSeasonsOptimisticManagersSoccerAnalysisPhrasesTypicalPalacesCrystalsFlipToss Author:Daniel Finkelstein
“It's not often you find yourself writing about a game that you haven't seen one kick of. But it's not often that the favourites lose 5-0 in one of their most important matches of the season. But all things considered - the difference between expectations of success and margin of victory, the fact of Strachan's debut, the injury to Chris Sutton, the joy it will bring Rangers fans, and the potential financial loss of going out of Europe completely in the first week in August - it is hard to remember the last defeat this bad for any team.” WritingFirstsImportantHardFactsLastsRememberJoyGamesLosesDifferencesLossWeekTeamFansHavensFootballVictoryExpectationsEuropeAll ThingsSeasonsDefeatFinancialSoccerAnalysisKicksInjuryFinding YourselfGoing OutMarginsAugustRangersDebutFinancial Loss Author:Phil Cornwell
“In comparison to the emotionally-charged axing of a striker, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who averaged 30 goals a season, even the sale of David Beckham for, in Real Madrid's opinion, "peanuts", and the never-explained departure of Jaap Stam appear to be the rational acts of a sage and far-sighted manger. To offload a player because he could not be reconciled with a role within the squad is a failing of management.” RealGoalOpinionRolesPlayerFailingFootballSeasonsManagementRationalSoccerAnalysisComparisonSageVansDeparturePeanutsSquadMadridBeckhamStrikersReal Madrid Author:Pete Gill
“United have spent all season commemorating the 50th anniversary of Busby's decision to defy the Football League and take the club on a tragic and triumphant journey into Europe, but no orchestrated event could conjure the celebrations ignited by last night's outstanding obliteration of Roma or deliver a more fitting tribute.” LastsNightDecisionUnitedJourneyEventsFootballEuropeSeasonsClubsSoccerAnalysisLeagueTragicCelebrationLast NightOutstandingFittingTributeTriumphant50th Anniversary Author:Andy Hunter
“I hope Stoke stay up this season, and stay up for long enough so that they can get enough money and buy some footballers.” LongEnoughFootballSeasonsSoccerAnalysisFootballerStoke Author:Mick Dennis
“When Ronaldo gave that little wink everyone interpreted it that he had got his team-mate sent off. You felt then that he would become a much criticised figure. But that's not really what happened. So for him to overcome all of that and emerge as one of the players of the season is quite a remarkable achievement. He is a phenomenal talent. He has tremendous pace, he goes past players and he has added the ability to shoot. He can also pick out team-mates. There is not a lot he cannot do now. I believe his game has improved immeasurably over the past couple of seasons.” BelieveLittlesPastGamesI BelieveFeltAbilityPlayerHappenedTeamTalentFiguresCoupleAchievementPicksSeasonsOvercomingSoccerRemarkablePaceMatesOver The PastPhenomenalTeam Mate Author:Cristiano Ronaldo
“Of the nine red cards this season we probably deserved half of them.” HalfRedSeasonsNineCardsSoccerRed Lips Author:Arsene Wenger
“I've seen first-hand the great enthusiasm Portland has for soccer; it's a soccer-smart fan base that generates an incredible atmosphere. I am very much looking forward to the first season of Thorns FC.” FirstsHandsFansSmartSeasonsIncrediblesEnthusiasmSoccerAtmosphereLooking ForwardThornsPortland Author:Cindy Parlow Cone
“My message to the fans would be that hopefully I can continue to perform as consistently as I have done this season and lift a trophy for them soon.” I CanDoneWould BeFansMessagesSeasonsHopefullySoccerLiftsConsistentlyTrophiesLiverpool Author:Steven Gerrard
“I'm an organizational fanatic. I created a locker room that the children pass through when they come in the house. Each child has a personal locker, and every day when they arrive home from school, they dump their stuff there-backpacks, shoes, soccer uniforms. I organize them by season.” ChildrenHomeSchoolHouseStuffRoomsSeasonsShoesSoccerOrganizedUniformsOrganizeFanaticsDumpLockersOrganizationalLocker Room Author:Kathryn Sansone