World Cup Quotes

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/blog/2010/07/quotes-of-the-world-cup.html

Quotes of the World Cup

• Posted by Sid Lowe

Martin Demichelis was always asking for trouble and, inevitably, he got it. The question now is: where in the world is he? Because, if he is to be believed, he could be anywhere -- except back home in Argentina.

In the aftermath of England's capitulation against Germany and the build-up to Argentina's match against the same opposition, Demichelis announced: "If I play as badly against Germany as John Terry did, I won't be able to go home to Argentina."

At about the same time he said it and argument was brewing in his kitchen, where Demichelis' pot was attacking his kettle.

As if it wasn't bad enough to have a fellow professional attacking your performance -- and Terry's display against Germany was truly lamentable -- to have Demichelis do so was a real kick in the teeth. At least it would have been but for one thing: if Demichelis tried to kick Terry in the teeth, he'd probably miss.

Demichelis was in a glass house but that didn't stop him throwing stone after stone after stone. He seemed to have forgotten his own hideous error against South Korea. Or his dreadful display in the final of the Champions League when he couldn't have turned more slowly if his feet were nailed to the floor.

He appeared to be setting himself up for a fall. And fall he inevitably did. Two days later, Germany put Argentina to the sword -- with Demichelis playing the starring role as the bad guy who kept everyone onside for the opening goal and stood dazed and confused for pretty much the rest of the match, sadly tearing up his Johannesburg to Buenos Aires ticket as he returned to the dressing room.

Not that Demichelis is alone. Oh no, far from it. People have been opening their big mouths all World Cup and, as the Spanish phrase goes, as a result flies have been finding their way in. Mind you, they haven't all been wrong, as CBCSports.ca's collection of the choicest quotes of the World Cup so far goes to show...

"It feels like I have been punched by Muhammad Ali"

• Diego Maradona reacts to Argentina's World Cup exit.

"I prefer a calm coach on the bench like Van Marwijk, rather than an idiot like Maradona or Dunga."

• Dutch striker Wesley Sneijder.

"There's no reason to fear England."

• So says Lukas Podolski. So might have said just about any player at the tournament.

"What's apartheid?"

• Spain's Joan Capdevila really gets to grips with the history of the hosts.

"I can't say what my granny said about the referee when he sent me off but they were some harsh words"

• Kaka's granny is not one for a simple "that's nice dear." But she probably did wipe his face clean with spit on a hankie.

"I'm not in favour of technology in football or a chip in the ball. The best thing about football is the controversy. But as for that England goal [against Germany] ... even my granny could see that it was in. And she wears super-thick glasses."

• Luis Fabiano can't believe that the referee didn't see Frank Lampard's shot sneak over the German line. No one else could believe that the referee didn't see his spot of impromptu volleyball. And, anyway, what is it with Brazilians and their grannies?

"God never sleeps, he knows who deserves success."

• Indeed he does, Cristiano Ronaldo, indeed he does.

"I have a girlfriend. She is blonde, 31 and very pretty."

• Asked if the "love" between him and his players, who he is seen constantly hugging and kissing, is the key to Argentina's early success, Diego Maradona protests a little too much.

"I like the Jabulani it's very pretty."

• FIFA boss Sepp Blatter really doesn't get it, does he?

"It's going to take us 25 years to win again if we carry on like this."

• Fabio Cannavaro doesn't like the look of Italy's future and immediately rushes off to play in the Middle East. Where he says it has "always been my dream to play." Sure it has.

"Ozil chose the wrong passport."

• Says Guus Hiddink of the German playmaker with Turkish roots. It really doesn't look that way, Guus. In fact, it looks like he chose very much the right passport.

"Maradona is a nice guy but he can be a bit pesado [a pain, boring] . And I mean pesado in the nicest possible way."

• Vicente del Bosque gets just a little tired of Maradona's constant griping.

"Luis Suarez's hand was the Hand of God ... and the Virgin Mary."

• Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez has no doubt which side of the cheat/hero debate he's on.

"What I saw from the English in their 1-1 draw against the United States had very little to do with football. English have gone backwards into the bad old times of kick and rush."

• Let's face it, Franz Beckenbauer is not wrong.