Martin Svoboda

“Football is the only sport where you put people together, it doesn’t matter if you are rich, or poor, or black, or white. It is one nation. This is the beauty of football.”

“I don’t believe there is such a thing as a ‘born’ soccer player. Perhaps you are born with certain skills and talents, but quite frankly it seems impossible to me that one is actually born to be an ace soccer player.”

“Over the years I’ve learnt to live with two persons in my heart. One is Edson, who has fun with his friends and family; the other is the football player Pele. I didn’t want the name. ‘Pele’ sounds like baby-talk in Portuguese.”

“When you are young, you do a lot of stupid things.”

“If you don’t give education to people, it is easy to manipulate them.”

“Everything is practice.”

“Wherever you go, there are three icons that everyone knows: Jesus Christ, Pele and Coca-Cola.”

“You must respect people and work hard to be in shape. And I used to train very hard. When the others players went to the beach after training, I was there kicking the ball.”

“I represent Brazil all over the world. Wherever I go I have to do my best, to not disappoint the Brazilian people. And that I’ve done.”

“At 17, I already had responsibility because I took care of my family, but in the football I was young; I wasn’t experienced or the captain – I was just in the team.”

“Brazil’s always had great players, both at home and abroad, but we need to put all that talent together and mould a team out of it.”

“I always remember the games in which I score.”

“Courage can bring huge benefits to those who are prepared.”

“A friend is part of your family.”

“Most important is be a good man.”

“When you control the ball you control the score.”

“If I pass away one day, I am happy because I tried to do my best. My sport allowed me to do so much because it’s the biggest sport in the world.”

“Everything on earth is a game. A passing thing. We all end up dead. We all end up the same, don’t we?”

“To be a striker you need to be in good shape.”