Quotes
It [Soccer] reinforces team spirit without taking away a person's individuality.
Society should take the beautiful game as an example: we need to live together
as a group, but respect each other's differences.
Football is the great metaphor and the World Cup the supreme example
of a shared experience allied with individuality.
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This is a big motivation for myself to keep on improving in my career and to play a even better World Cup in four years' time.
— German striker, Lukas Podolski, cited on FIFA's award release , shortly following FIFA's release of all 2006 Awards.
Lukas Podolski: the sole 2006 World Cup Award winner to have been honored with exclusive focus and additionally a quote (above-cited) on that page, albeit the youngest among the Award winners. See footnote1 on the Awards page.
[In 1990] Germany won the World Cup in our home, but now we have won it here [in Germany]..
— Italian skipper Cannavaro, celebrating Italy's World Cup victory & expressing relief for having gotten 'even' with Germany
We were left speechless by such stupidity...[though we must]...thank Zinédine Zidane all the same for all the kicks of pure beauty he has given us over more than 100 matches with 'Les Bleus.'
— , French newspaper, Mon Jul-10-2006, on Zidane's Final Match.
His career may have ended in disgrade, but France still loves Zizou.
— BBC World TV Channel, World Cup News, Mon Jul-10-2006, on the warm French Squad welcome home, in Paris.
See footnote2 on the Awards page, for Zidane's World Cup Award and related pertinent remarks.
Iran has a good team, Mexico ranks higher than us [Portugal], and [the match against] Angola will always constitute a classical.
— Portuguese coach, Luis Felipe Scolari, shortly after the drawing of World Cup Groups in Leipzig
Mexico is the toughest game for us but this game can also become the biggest step for Iran to reach the next round.
Iranian coach, Branco Ivankovic, who reportedly hopes his squad can produce a 'shock effect' at their first match, which could help get them through to the second round.
For every ten situations in which there is a favorite to win, the favorite loses in eight of them.
A player defines a match, but a team wins the championship.
— Brazilian Squad coach, Carlos Alberto Parreira, on the eve of the 2006 World Cup, in response to the media's repeatedly remarking on Brazil's favoritism. The quote was Parreira's final statement while stressing the fact that talent alone cannot win the World Cup Crown, and stressing on the relevance of tactical organization, discipline, and team spirit.
As a token of irony, see the related remarks on eBook page Records & Memorable Details. Precisely what the Brazil side seemingly neglected to take to Germany is intimately related to the name given the 2006 World Cup Ball: 'team spirit.' While the Brazilian Squad exhibited in Germany their large constellation, so many among whom could, in principle, define a match at a moment of genious inspiration (as indeed visibly out-of-form Ronaldo did, to claim his personal World Cup scoring record), on the other hand, genuine glimpses of team playing concern were seen in the center of the defense (Lúcio & Juan, along with goalkeeper Dida), with untiring Zé Roberto, and in moments of the so-called reserve team that played the match against Japan. Now, if Parreira was indeed aware, as his above-cited statement suggests, that a player defines a match, but a team wins the championship, the mystery remains regarding what then prevented him from preparing his starry group with that objective in mind, especially given that this has been the most peaciful, problem-free, and financially comfortable World Cup building up the Brazilian Squad has enjoyed to date!...
This is the best squad we've had and the best chance we've had since I've been in the team.
— English star David Beckham, in May 2006. (See Sven-Göran Eriksson's words, below)
My dream as a player is to win the Champions League, as that's the only title I haven't won yet. In a wider context and on a more personal level, I'd love to be able to see a more peaceful and less violent world, but that looks increasingly unlikely.
— Brazil's captain, Cafu, less than a month before the 2006 World Cup (interview to ).
Curiously, given that the World Cup was just a step ahead, Cafu's words seem to include no reference to a possible dream of also winning the World Cup for a second time, as a player, and as a captain (which would additionally mean lifting the Cup before the crowd, at the Award ceremony). Cafu's words likewise seem to include no reference to the records which he seemed on a personal mission to conquer, this World Cup. His words, however, as much of Cafu's discourse while in Germany-2006, bear an altogether personal, rather than team flavor or motivation. The introductory remark to his second sentence (In a wider context and on a more personal level), indeed signals a wider context, as claimed by Cafu, but by no means a 'more personal level' as misconstrued: while one cannot get any 'more personal' than self-related references already indicate, what Cafu's noble wish for peace and violence decrease reflect is a more 'idealistic' (thus also 'abstract') level of personal concerns.
1 Ils ont été trop loin. Je suis un adepte du football physique mais là, certains ont joué pour blesser l'adversaire.
— Dutch star Cocu, following the 'friendly' match that the Australian team played against the Dutch, during which he was injured – citation in the French , June 5, 2006.
�1 Translation: "They went too far. I enjoy physical soccer, but some of them have played to injure the opponent".
2 C'est un scandale ! Ils ont vraiment dépassé les limites.
— Dutch star Robben, following that same 'friendly' match – likewise cited by the French , June 5, 2006.
�2 Translation: "It's a scandal! They have really gone beyond the limits".
3 Sans un réflexe de ma part sur le tacle de Wilkshire, je pouvais faire une croix sur le Mondial.
— Dutch star Van Bronckhorst, third Dutch player not to play that 'friendly' match through, due to injury – citation also in the French , June 5, 2006.
�3 Translation: "Were it not for my reflex, when Wilkshire tackled me, this World Cup would have been over, for me".
The strengths of our team are physical ability, athleticism, and some great attacking players too.
— Australia assistant coach, Graham Arnold, in the very start of June 2006.
Hopefully, the exaggerated strong-arm exhibited in the 'friendly' against the Netherlands (see right above) has not been a demonstration of how the Socceroos will be putting to effect the above-mentioned physical ability, athleticism, and attacking.
Anyone can get injured at any time but coaches seem to be risking more than they are gaining by allowing friendlies to be too competitive far too close to the real competition. .
— (World Cup News)
The differential for this team is that it has three spectacular players in Ronaldinho, Kaká and Ronaldo [...] but if they have bad days, the rest of the team is standard, on the same level as the others.
— Tostão, Pelé's attack companion, in the Brazilian squad that won the World Cup in Mexico, 1970. Tostão is nowadays a medical doctor, writer, and also a soccer analyst.
Brazil will make us work hard for what we wish, but giving it our all and doing everything right, we will become Champions, in 2006.
— Brazilian-born German Squad star (in the build-up warm-up matches for the World Cup) Kevin Kuranyi, when asked if the Brazilian Squad could spoil what the Germans likely consider the perfect World Cup for them. (May 2006 update: Kevin Kuranyi was unexpectedly left out of Germany's final call.)
Kevin Kuranyi's father being German has allowed Kuranyi to opt to defend the German, rather than the Brazilian colors, even though Kuranyi grew up in Brazil (Petrópolis, state of Rio de Janeiro), where he started playing soccer.
This deal allows me to pursue my dream of playing in the World Cup...It's a dream move to a great club and hopefully it will be a major boost for my career.
— Australian Squad hopeful, striker Archie Thompson, when the deal of his loan (from Australia's A-League Championship) to PSV Eindhoven was finally sealed, at the start of 2006.
Thompson's loan kills two birds with a single stone, as it not only represents experience and exposure in one of the most well known Clubs, but also it just so happens that PSV's coach is the same man managing the Australian Squad! Obviously, Thompson could not have a better chance of being noted and observed, ahead of the World Cup! Incidentally, Thompson 's deal inaugurates the very first such transfer, ever, that is, of a player from Australia's A-League to a European Club.
He [Pelé] was the best player in the history of football.
— Beckenbauer, shortly after the drawing of World Cup Groups in Leipzig .
I did not play with Pelé; he played with me.
Zagallo's explanation: he was 27 years old, whereas Pelé was only 17, in the 1958 World Cup (Sweden). Thus his feeling it adequate to put it the way he does, however arrogant it might sound to some.
Ronaldinho is a really big player. Bigger than me...by four centimeters, in fact.
— Pelé, when asked (in Germany, June, 2006) how Ronaldinho Gaúcho compares to him, as a soccer player.
I'm anxious to get started next week. I can't wait to treat the fans to a lot of goals and happiness.
— 40-year-old Romário (over 900 career goals and 2005 top scorer in the Brazilian League), newly arrived at Miami F.C., regretting that his debut needed to be delayed due to a calf injury in training.
This [current English Squad] is the best team I have commanded since I took over the management of the English Squad, five years ago.
— Sven-Göran Eriksson, English coach, during an interview, around the turn of year (2005⁄2006).
Will the British media allow their strongest elite of English football players, in many years, to fulfill their potential?... Sven-Göran Eriksson did not refer to the sour side of his managing this excellent group of players (which was, again, in evidence, shortly after the English coach had made the above comment): the much he has already been through, as far as the local media is concerned. They do not seem to leave him alone, in peace, to do his job... Can he and the Team ignore it all, and succeed in spite of the emotional strain that the widely published scandals must increasingly put on the coach and the players?... Let's hope so.
I want to play keep playing for England and get as many caps as possible [...] I want to go on from there, though. I don't just want to reach 100 and say "OK I'll retire now." I want more and more. I'm not sure I'll ever get to Peter Shilton's record of 125 but you never know. I don't want to finish before EURO 2008, and I'd love to go on to the 2010 World Cup but I don't think that will happen because I'll be 35 by then.
– England's Captain, Real Madrid's David Beckham, to British newspaper The Sun.
I still have six months or maybe a year [left]. At the best I have a year and a half. [...] I'm closer to the end than the beginning.
– France's and Real Madrid's Zinédine Zidane, on his , at the start of 2006.
As FIFA President, I am faced with a considerable problem: UEFA's marked interest not only in keeping a strong hold over the football of its member countries, but also their desire to extend this influence. We cannot allow that twenty-five countries in the European Union try to impose their norms over 207 other nations.
— Joseph Blatter, current 's President, during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, at the start of 2006.
On the whole, I have been very happy with the performances of the match officials, even though they were not always error-free, something that is impossible to achieve. So far, the main objective – to protect the players – has been accomplished.
— 's Referees Committee Chairman, Spaniard Ángel María Villar Llona
Did Señor Ángel María Villar Llona miss the match between Portugal and the Netherlands? Or could he be implying that referee Valentín Ivanov did succeed in protecting both sides' players's legs, heads, shoulders, ..., during that 'battle-match,' despite the record number of cards dealt out, then?!...
Brazil is the joy of playing football. I appreciate its players' character, they smile, make few faults, are correct on the field. Personally, with all due respect to the other players around the World, we pay special attention to the Brazilians. [...] No one better than the Brazilians interpret our philosophy [of winning by playing 'the beautiful game'].
— 's vice-president, Adriano Galliani, upon hiring a fifth Brazilian player for the team (Amoroso, from Udinese, Parma, Borussia Dortmund, and World Champion São Paulo, among other clubs), at the start of 2006.
� Here's the full, original quote, in Italian, from the ACMilan's news article "": Il Brasile è gioia di giocare a calcio. Poi a me piace il loro carattere, sorridono, fanno pochi falli, sono corretti in campo. Personalmente, con tutto il rispetto per tutti gli altri giocatori del mondo, abbiamo un occhio di riguardo per i brasiliani. Il Brasile ti delude raramente. Dal momento che la nostra filosofia è quella di vincere con il bel gioco, nessuno più dei brasiliani interpreta al meglio questa nostra linea.
They're [Brazilian U-20 Squad] a well-knit group who know how to have fun while they work. It's just in our nature. If we Brazilians go to work with a smile on our faces, just imagine what we're like when it comes to playing football! As far as we're concerned, football is fun.
– Marcos Paquetá, Saudi Arabian coach, when asked to explain the sort of attitude that AC Milan's vice-president seems to have remarked on, right above, which had been observed also regarding the U-20 Brazilian players, whom Paquetá was then coaching. ()
There will be no more fine individual talents [in Brazil] in the future. [...] We don't have these players here in Brazil nowadays [...] all of them are in Europe and players go there younger year by year.
– Former Brazil side coach & former Real Madrid's coach, Wanderley Luxemburgo, now working in Brazil (at Santos, Pelé's former club)
See IFFHS Clubs' Rank Page footnote for FIFA's remark on April 13, 2006, which pose a sharp contradiction to Luxemburgo's words, above (links to clips, on-line, are included in this footnote; so you don't have to take FIFA's appraisal, but can indeed see for yourself!). There possibly being in Brazil as many soccer clubs as in the whole of Europe, it is hard to conceive that only the one at stake (at the above link), among them all, has been producing new talents...
I think that it will be Brazil's World Cup. I don't think about standing out myself or being more or less the best. I simply want to do my best so that Brazil will be the World Cup champions.
– Brazil's and Barcelona's Ronaldinho Gaúcho, in (quite a humble) answer to 's question The 2002 World Cup was Ronaldo's. Will the 2006 World Cup be Ronaldinho's?
The three Ronaldos will shine at the World Cup in Germany: [Manchester United's] Cristiano Ronaldo, because he is very good; [Real Madrid's] Ronaldo, because he always shines during big tournaments; and [Barcelona's] Ronaldinho, also because he is enjoying a very good phase of his career.
– Inter Milan's Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo, to Portuguese sports daily Record, in February, 2006.
The nickname Ronaldinho, as he is also called Ronaldo (Ronaldo de Assis Moreira), helps avoid confusion with the other and more senior Ronaldo (Ronaldo Luiz Nazario da Lima) playing in the Brazilian Squad, respectively, jersey numbers 10 and 9. Literally, Ronaldinho means "little Ronaldo," though the nickname may also be (and often is) used affectionately.
When current Real Madrid's Ronaldo started his career in the Brazilian Squad, he, too, was referred to as Ronaldinho, because there was already a defense player also called Ronaldo in the national team. (This was Ronaldo Rodrigues de Jesus, São Paulo's captain in the winning clubs' World Title team, 1994, and World Cup winning player, in the United States, also in 1994.) In fact, to ensure the two Ronaldo's were not confused, Sao Paulo's defender Ronaldo was often referred to as Ronaldão (literally "big Ronaldo"), given his being the taller–and more senior–of the two Ronaldo's then in the Brazilian Squad.
By the time current Barcelona's player known as Ronaldinho first came to play in Europe (France), some European fans were in fact a bit confused, at first, as another very talented Brazilian "Ronaldinho" (current Real Madrid's Ronaldo) had been playing in the Netherlands, following Romário's success on Dutch pitches. (So there were actually fans under the impression that the player arriving at France's PSG was the one who had been in the Dutch PSV club!) To avoid this sort of mix-up, around that time, current Real Madrid's Ronaldo stopped being referred to as 'Ronaldinho,' since Real Madrid's Ronaldo had by then become the more senior of the current two Ronaldo's in the Brazilian Squad. (In the Brazilian press, however, Real Madrid's Ronaldo may now and then still be referred to as Ronaldinho, beware!)
Barcelona's Ronaldinho, it should be added, is often referred to as Ronaldinho Gaúcho. This results from his having been born in the Southern Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul, the natives of which are denominated "gaúchos." The same applies to Brazilian Squad's and Lyon's Juninho Pernambucano, who comes from the Northern Brazilian state of Pernambuco, as well as to former Brazilian Squad player Juninho Paulista (World Cup 2002), who is a native of the state of São Paulo.
Unless one is a bit familiar with the Portuguese language, all the R's (Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Ronaldão, Romário, Ricardinho, Rivaldo, Rivelino, and now also Real Madrid's Robinho, for example) and all the -inho's (Robinho, both Juninho's, above-mentioned, and pronounced "gyoo-neen-yoo", Cicinho, pronounced "see-seen-yoo," Ricardinho, Jairzinho, Toninho Cerezzo, etc.), abundant in Brazilian Squad players' names, might feel like some sort of tongue-twister!...
Luckily for the non-Portuguese speakers, the Portuguese Squad, on the other hand, will likely have a single Ronaldo (Cristiano Ronaldo), though probably three Ricardo's (goalkeeper and defenders). Likewise, there are, in the Portuguese Squad, far fewer players whose names end in -inh- (Costinha, midfielder Francisco José Rodrigues Costa, will likely be the single instance for Germany 2006).
Angola, the other Portuguese speaking squad, in turn, includes a single Ricardo (goal-keeper João Ricardo) and no player's names ending in -inh-. On the other hand, there are two defenders called Marco, and a third called Mário–potentially confusing, if one is not attentive.
Update: Mineiro, the nickname by which Carlos Luciano da Silva–the Brazilian squad player replacing injured Edmílson–is known, calls for a special comment. A native of Brazil's state of Minas Gerais is called a mineiro. Thus, mirrored on what has been discussed just above, Brazilian squad player Mineiro would naturally be thought to have been born in Minas Gerais, where former squad players Tostão, Piazza and Toninho Cerezzo (the last now a coach, in Brazil) are from. But, no! Like Ronaldinho Gaúcho, Mineiro was born in Brazil's southernmost state, Rio Grande do Sul; and, logically, he should have been nicknamed Gaúcho, not Mineiro. But, once more, soccer and logic show they may have little kinship!... This odd discrepancy evoked in Mineiro's nickname resides in the fact that, when Mineiro started playing, he was found to resemble a well known Brazilian player named Cláudio Mineiro (this Mineiro, in turn, truly born in Minas Gerais, as the nickname would suggest!).
� More quotes may be added, anytime! Stay tuned.
2006 
World Cup
Abbreviations, above: used by FIFA, as well as in this eBook.
Numbers 1-4, above, correspond to the numbering used for the Groups drawing,
in Leipzig (2005), number one being the seed.squad, in each Group.
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— (to ) 
GER: Germany
ENG: England
ARG: Argentina
MEX: Mexico
CRC: Costa Rica
PAR: Paraguay
CIV: Côte d'Ivoire
IRN: Iran
POL: Poland
TRI: Trinidad and Tobago
SCG: Serbia and Montenegro
ANG: Angola
ECU: Ecuador
SWE: Sweden
NED: Netherlands
POR: Portugal
ITA: Italy 
BRA: Brazil
FRA: France
ESP: Spain
GHA: Ghana
CRO: Croatia
SUI: Switzerland
UKR: Ukraine
USA: United States
AUS: Australia
KOR: Korea Republic
TUN: Tunisia
CZE: Czech Republic
JPN: Japan
TOG: Togo
KSA: Saudi Arabia
World Cup: 
