Top 60 Andrea Pirlo Quotes

Better to leave before someone else has the idea of sending you away.

I never had any doubts. I wanted MLS. I’d followed it on TV, and I liked it. And being able to play in New York did the rest. I don’t know if I would have accepted an offer from any other city.

I do not have a Facebook page, and I do not chat on Twitter. I don’t have a web site, even if there are people who have opened one in my name, complete with my photo.

It’s clear that anyone who plays in Belgium or another league with less quality still has a chance of making the Champions League or the Europa League.

I played with Baggio when I was young. I grew up with his myth, and to actually play with him was like being in a dream. I tried to hang out with him, to study how he played and to learn from him.

I think that soccer is one thing, and money is another thing.

I want to be successful in playing the game. I’m going to do my best to help myself and my teammates play in the best possible way and reach successful results.

As a player, you just want to be at a club where you can achieve everything you want to.

When you no longer feel part of the game, then you have to think about doing something else.

Do I regret leaving Milan? I decided I needed a change. I needed to find new ideas, and that was the best thing for both parties.

One part of my job I’ll never learn to love is the pre-match warm-up. I hate it with every fibre of my being. It actually disgusts me.

It’s the best thing that can happen to a player. Being able to play at the World Cup is already the best, but then to raise the trophy to the sky is a dream.

Being part of a team that belongs to everyone makes me feel good and at peace with myself.

Ancelotti moved me to a new position and helped me raise my game.

When you’re rivals, you can never be friends.

I’ve never told anyone, but my ambition is to become the leading all-time scorer of free kicks in Serie A.

When I was a kid, I’d take a small foam ball and try to get my shot over the couch so it would finish in the corner of the window.

I spent the afternoon of Sunday 9 July, 2006 in Berlin sleeping and playing the PlayStation. In the evening, I went out and won the World Cup.

All my ex-teammates didn’t want to become coaches, yet they’ve all done it.

I’ve never needed to play for money. I play because I love football.

First objective is always that of winning.

If I look in the mirror when I get up or before going to bed at night, I see a man of average ugliness with stubble, an unruly mane of hair, a squint nose, slightly protruding ears, and bags under my eyes. But I also see a man who’s completely happy with the figure staring back at him.

All I’m after is a few square metres to be myself. A space where I can continue to profess my creed: take the ball, give it to a team-mate, my team-mate scores. It’s called an assist, and it’s my way of spreading happiness.

When I take my free-kicks, I think in Portuguese, and at most, I’ll do the celebrating in my native tongue.

The secret for someone in my position is to keep it simple. Keep possession and keep the ball moving quickly so that you tire out your opponents; that’s my method.

People who don’t know me think I’m so serious. I’m a prankster; I like to have fun with the people who know me better.

I don’t feel pressure.

Pogba has never stopped improving. He has everything to become a great player. If he keeps his head on his shoulders, he can make history.

Sometimes a pinch of sadism is the ingredient that makes victory taste that little bit sweeter.

As the years go by, you have to realise when it is the right time to do something different.

I’ve learned lots, obviously – the first thing being never to forget to be grateful. The second is not to bear grudges, because in football, luck does not exist.

If you look after yourself and are willing to adapt – there is no reason why you can’t play at the top level until your late 30s.

Messi is always compared to Maradona, but he needs to win the World Cup because if you don’t win the World Cup, you can’t be up there with the very best.

When I do retire, I am going to go back to Italy.

I came to New York City as a player, so my objective is to take the team as high as possible, preferably to victory. If that helps Major League Soccer grow, then that’s welcome, too, but I was signed as a New York City FC player and to do what’s best for the team.

The Ballon d’Or has never been something that I’ve missed.

Until I was 30 years old, my body was used to my routine of eating pasta every single day.

I’d have considered myself fortunate to be coached by Guardiola because he really puts his stamp on teams. He builds them, moulds them, guides them, berates them, nurtures them. He makes them great. He takes them to a higher level; a place beyond mere football.

My passion is always the same. In fact, with a new adventure, the passion always grows.

Before every match, I eat pasta with tomato and chicken breast a few hours beforehand. In the hottest months, I choose to drink an energy drink before the match, too, but normally, I drink just water.

Just being able to go out to dinner at the trendiest restaurants – in Italy, I can’t do that.

Top European clubs are always progressing with what they can do off the field. Training is getting more scientific, and we are constantly getting more educated on nutrition.

Thanks to Conte, I got the urge of coaching, and I thank him for that.

I think if somebody knows how to play the game, he or she can play anywhere. You know how to fit in.

I used to watch Juninho’s free-kicks without being able to figure out how he hit them. I tried and tried until, eventually, I came up with my own way to strike them.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that players care about transfer fees. For a player, they do not care at all. They do not care if they move clubs for one million, 10 million, or 100 million Euros. That is just something a player leaves to his agent and the clubs.

I was lucky enough to play for the top three Italian clubs during the golden era of Italian football, so I have no regrets.

Not to feel important, be important – that’s the most important thing.

When you start to achieve success, you want to get more.

I love the food scene in New York.

You can be lucky for a few years, but in the end, your defects will emerge. The reality is different. People are watching you, and those who know how to play will progress, while those who don’t will remain in the lower levels.

I’m Italian, but I’m also a little Brazilian: Pirlonho, if you like.

When there is a solid base of Italian players, those who come in take their example, and then everyone is working in the same direction.

To be honest, I don’t see anyone out there who plays the way I do.

It’s not easy to win the Champions League.

I have always said that it is fundamental to have a strong core of Italian players in a club squad. At AC Milan, we had that and we won. The same at Juventus.

I’ve always been able to play for the love of the sport.

I want to help the MLS grow and play well.

I don’t like going on TV programmes.

I always play to win. I always have big targets in mind.