Saturday 18 June 2016, 08:26

The Week in Quotes

"I know him, I had a few games against him with Schalke a few years back. You can never really defend him for the whole game. You have to defend him as a team. You have to avoid one-v-ones and get two-v-ones or more players. Then there is the problem that you might forget the other players around him. This team is not just Cristiano Ronaldo.” Austria captain Christian Fuchs on the prospect of going up against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal on Saturday at UEFA EURO 2016

“We are a country with less than 40 professional players to choose from. I’ve been everywhere looking for players: Fleetwood Town, Burton Albion, Doncaster, Luton, Morecambe. At times, it is not the most glamorous.” Northern Ireland coach Michael O’Neill on his recruiting tactics

"Spain have a lot of football and a lot of goals. They also have the best player in EURO 2016 by a long way...Andres Iniesta."

​David Villa

"The thing about Ibra is this is a guy who always wants to win. I hear people saying that in some games he looks like he isn't trying. Trust me, this guy would chase the last pass in the last minute of a training session in July if he thought he could get the goal that won the eight-a-side… I know that he is 34 years old but anyone who has ever worked closely with footballers – and knows a thing or two about their fitness and their stamina – can see that Ibra is not your typical 34-year-old.” Carlo Ancelotti

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“I wear them for comfort. At the end of the day, I’m just a goalkeeper, not a top model.” Hungary shot-stopper Gabor Kiraly discussing his choice of attire when playing in goal

"We haven't started climbing any volcanoes yet. We have to keep our feet on the ground and do a good job against Hungary, otherwise we will lose that match." Iceland co-coach Lars Lagerback on the island nation’s promising start in Group F at UEFA EURO 2016

“Everything that he did in his life was for me to win matches with the Croatian football team. I went back to my house in Metkovic and they said to me that my father's last wish was to continue playing this EURO. They will all be happy to see me on the pitch playing for Croatia.” Croatia captain Darijo Srna, speaking upon returning to France after attending his father’s funeral

“He’s a really, really top player. He’s maybe had a difficult season, I suppose, but maybe that's because he set his standards so high the previous season. Don’t get me the wrong way, I think he’s an outstanding player. But if you ask me if I was playing with anybody, be it Nottingham Forest, Rockmount, Cobh Rambers and they were constantly talking about wanting to leave and they had a poor attitude to training, then I would kick them in training. But I have kind of done that with most players, I suppose, even lads who didn't want to leave." Republic of Ireland assistant coach Roy Keane on Eden Hazard

“I’m sorry I asked!” A confused Elmoafter late night talk show host James Corden tried to explain how the offside rule works to the beloved Sesame Street character

“I’m Peruvian, so these guys they know me. I’m the guy they can come to, with respect. I try to give them the benefit of my experience, my years in the national team. I try to pass on some confidence that maybe they don’t have yet.” Peru assistant coach Nolberto Solano on his role with the national team ahead of his side’s Copa America Centenario quarter-final, which saw them narrowly defeated by Colombia on penalties.