"How can we explain to people in U.S. that soccer is a player-driven game and the decisions are made by the player? Because once the game is rolling, you have barely any influence on it. You have you three subs, a little talk at half-time and you can scream as loud as you want on the sideline, but they can barely hear you. The athletes, the players write the story. That has always been the message to them because soccer is so different to baseball, football and basketball. I can have a timeout in basketball, and I can have a different play. I can tell them all the time when there is a commercial break, 'OK, next strategy.' Soccer is an inner-driven sport and this is one of the biggest challenges for the American soccer fan and also the athletes." *Jurgen Klinsmann, USA coach and a FIFA World Cup™-winner as a player, gives his insight on the difference between European and North American mindset ahead of the Copa America Centenario.*

"Usually the coaches ask the players: 'who is going to take one?', 'who is going to assume the responsibility?', 'who feels up to it?'. We didn't have a fixed list of penalty takers and we didn't even practise them before the game. We all were shaken by Shevchenko's miss, but I was confident in the lads who were stepping up to the spot." *Anatoliy Tymoshchuk remembers Ukraine's historic penalty shootout victory that took his country past Switzerland and into the 2006 World Cup quarter-finals.*

“I dribbled and played against him as a child. My dog was a boxer and was always trying to get the ball off me. It was fun. Even when he nicked it from me, he would give it back and keep playing. When I had to do training runs, I would do it with my dog. After an injury early in my career, I noticed that I got tired quickly doing these runs, but I managed to get back in shape after a while. Once the dog struggled to keep up with me, I knew I was back in form.” **Robert Lewandowski on how a four legged friend helped him to success.

"I wanted to kill some of them last night. They should count their blessings they've managed to get on the flight - a reality check for one or two players who thought they were good players." *Roy Keane after the Republic of Ireland’s friendly defeat to Belarus.*

**David Alaba jokingly attempts to brush aside his comical own goal in Austria's friendly match against Malta.

**

"I think I'm technically unemployed so any managers, hit me up on a WhatsApp and get me a job! It's a beautiful thing, what dreams are made of, coming to Wembley, scoring, winning - we were the underdogs. It's not only Leicester who can do it, AFC Wimbledon can do it. In Hackney playing in the dark and now we're playing at Wembley, the hallowed turf. It doesn't get any better than that. I promise you, anybody can do it, keep working hard. For all those who said I was too big to play football, come on now - haaaa!" The enigmatic Adebayo Akinfenwa after his stoppage time penalty helped promote AFC Wimbledon to their highest level of English league football - the third tier - since their formation in 2002.

“People talk about the 10,000-hour rule of practice for players. I feel you can’t underestimate the importance of putting in the long hours in coaching too. For coaches who start out like me, not having been top-level players, I think there’s often that hunger there – it's like an obsession. You see that obsessiveness in the likes of Mourinho, and maybe that’s more powerful because of not having been successful players."* Beverly Priestman, coach of Canada's U-17 women's side, discusses the inspiration behind her coaching philosophy.

“In football confidence is so important, and in certain moments things go right or wrong. I remember in the Netherlands game, which we lost 5-1, we were winning 1-0 and David Silva was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. If he scored that it would have been 2-0, and no chance for them. We’d have probably won and the confidence would have been very different. Instead, straight after that chance they scored, and from then in the second half they were much better than us. So football is about moments .” *Cesc Fabregas discusses what could have been for Spain at Brazil 2014.*

Manchester City's social media team and Ilkay Gundogan have a bit of fun announcing the German midfielder's arrival at the club from Borussia Dortmund.

“I have a special relationship with Africa. I remember that in Cameroon, we went on tour across the country to play friendly matches against local teams. Wherever I worked, I kept very good memories and made enduring friendships. I have always lived in the countries that I have coached. I do not see my job otherwise. A coach must know the country and its culture. And they need to scout throughout the country, to find players that can be integrated into the national team.” Togo coach Claude Le Roy on his coaching travels around Africa, with Les Eperviers representing his sixth national side on the mother continent.