World Football: Wayne Rooney, Jose Mourinho and This Week's Top 10 Quotes
Here begins a new weekly feature, pulling together the top 10 quotes of the week.
We've got Jose Mourinho, Sir Alex Ferguson and Roberto Mancini playing managerial mind games...
Then there's Paul Scholes on his possible retirement, Cristiano Ronaldo on facing his old club on a very big stage and much more besides.
If you like it we'll make it a regular feature. If you don't, we won't!
10. Jose Mourinho on Returning to England
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Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho continues to be linked with a move back to England. Manchester United or Manchester City would be the most obvious destinations.
"My future is Real Madrid because I have a contract and because it looks like the club is happy with my work. My future will be in England, for sure, but my future is after Real Madrid," Mourinho said.
"I have a contract for three more seasons and I hope I will do well enough to deserve to continue here."
9. Sir Alex Ferguson on Mourinho Taking over at Manchester United
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"Jose is a great friend of mine. We've spoken many times about his future and I understand his wish to return to England.
"But it's difficult for me to say when my position will be available. It will be my health that decides."
8. Roberto Mancini on Mourinho Taking over at Manchester City
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Jose Mourinho was asked whether taking over at Manchester City was a possibility.
"Yes, it is possible," he said.
Roberto Mancini, when asked about it, replied, "Yes, and I think it would be impossible for me to go to Madrid."
7. Paul Scholes on Retiring from Football
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“People always say you should play as long as you can, but there comes a time when you can’t physically do it," Scholes told the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m wary of that and I just want to make sure it [retirement] is done at the right time.
“I really don’t know what I am going to do at the end of the season. You might only play once every two weeks, or once every three weeks, especially with all these massive games.
“You just have to make sure that, when you are needed, you are ready. It is hard to make that adjustment. It is not nice.”
6. Carlo Ancelotti on Fernando Torres
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Carlo Ancelotti on Fernando Torres, before the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Manchester United...
"Fernando (Torres) might not start against United, of course. This is my job. I have to choose the players, not comparing the players with what money the club paid for them.
"I have to choose the lineup looking at the training sessions, the condition of the players and their spirit. Fernando knows this very well. Roman's (Abramovich) so intelligent he'd never ask me to pick a certain player. He'd never ask me to do this."
5. David Beckham on Playing in the Olympics
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David Beckham's been talking up the possibility of extending his MLS contract for another season, as he looks towards the 2012 Olympics.
"I think it's something I'd like to be involved in as a player," he said.
"But we'll have to wait and see what happens, as it's still a year away yet."
4. Gareth Bale on Tottenham's Chances
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Tottenham's Gareth Bale believes his team can beat Manchester City to fourth in the Premier League and qualify, once again, for the Champions League.
"We are three points off Man City with a game in hand and all our focus will be turned to the Premier League now and finishing in the top four," Bale told The Sun.
“We know Arsenal will be a difficult game next week. It will be a derby and one we really need to win and make use of our game in hand. It is a big game for us.
"Last season we came off the back of a disappointing result against Portsmouth. We went out of the cup and in a way that helped us.
“We have a hell of a run-in. But if we beat the teams above us, then it will only be good for us and it will be in our hands."
3. Fabio Capello vs. Jose Mourinho
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Jose Mourinho upset England manager Fabio Capello recently by revealing he was close to taking the job in 2007.
Capello has responded by saying he could have been Real Madrid manager again...
"I could have come to Real Madrid last year," he said.
"But it would have been dangerous to come back because if I wouldn't have won anything it would have been a massive disappointment."
2. Wayne Rooney on Swear-Gate
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Wayne Rooney was banned for two matches after swearing into a pitch-side camera.
"I am gutted to miss two matches, one of which is an FA Cup semifinal at Wembley. I am not the first player to have sworn on TV and I won’t be the last," Rooney said.
“Unlike others who have been caught swearing on camera, I apologised immediately. And yet I am the only person banned for swearing. That doesn’t seem right.
“Whatever, I have to accept that what’s happened has happened and move on from here. That’s what I intend to do.”
1. Ronaldo Wants Champions League Final Against United
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Cristiano Ronaldo is eyeing a potential Champions League Final matchup against his former club.
“If you ask me if I want to play for Real Madrid against Manchester United in the final at Wembley then of course I will," he said.
“I’ve still got a lot of friends there, memories. I had six great years there but we have to play Barcelona first and then we can see what’s going on.”
