In England, footballers are respected more, the game is more noble, there's less cheating. Every Spaniard who goes loves it - and comes back a better player. If I had ever left, it would have been to England.
Interpretation
Xavi praises the respect and integrity of football in England compared to Spain.
In this quote, Xavi reflects on his admiration for English football, highlighting its higher level of respect and integrity compared to the Spanish game. He suggests that the values prevalent in English football could have significantly contributed to a player's development, indicating that he sees England as a place where the sport is played more nobly and honorably.
In practice
This quote could be used in a motivational speech for young athletes seeking to improve their game.
In the last 15 to 20 years the best central midfielder that I have seen — the most complete — is Scholes. I have spoken with Xabi Alonso about this many times. Scholes is a spectacular player who has everything. He can play the final pass, he can score, he is strong, he never gets knocked off the ball and he doesn’t give possession away. If he had been Spanish then maybe he would have been valued more.
In football, the result is an impostor. You can do things really, really well but not win. There's something greater than the result, more lasting - a legacy.
In futsal, you see whether a player is really talented. You notice the small details in quality, class and tactical understanding.
I spend the entire 90 minutes looking for space on the pitch. I'm always between the opposition's two holding midfielders and thinking, 'The defence is here, so I get the ball and I go there to where the space is.'
I used to tease Joe Louis by reminding him that I was the greatest of all time. But Joe Louis was the greatest heavyweight fighter ever.
Football is a vocation and an opportunity for ministry. But it's not a life.
The ballplayer who loses his head, who can't keep his cool, is worse than no ballplayer at all.
Basketball can serve as a kind of metaphor for ultimate cooperation. It is a sport where success, as symbolized by the championship, requires that the dictates of community prevail over selfish impulses.
As far as I'm concerned, Aaron is the best ball player of my era. He is to baseball of the last fifteen years what Joe DiMaggio was before him. He's never received the credit he's due.
More enduringly than any other sport, wrestling teaches self-control and pride. Some have wrestled without great skill - none have wrestled without pride.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.