Brazilian Football Quotes

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 want to help the Brazilian National Team the best way possible, whether is with goals, assists or even a slide tackle, whatever.

Neymar is the representative of the Brazil team, of what we're all about. Being in the squad alongside him is always a pleasure, and we always have more chance of being champions if he's around.

I was always inspired by Brazilian football growing up. Those huge Nike campaigns, the Jogo Bonito campaigns that had Ronaldinho, that's the beauty of the game that I love.

There's never a lot of Brazillian football played in these games.

It's good for Brazilian football to have idols, stars, big stars coming back to Brazilian clubs. The tournaments become much better, more interesting. Ze Roberto, Juninho Pernambucano, Ronaldinho Gaucho, and other players who have returned to Brazil strengthen the league and improve the tournaments.

Brazil is a country I hold very dearly. I've got followers there who I've been interacting with for years, as well as fellow artists like Ivete Sangalo, and it also has huge figures like Pele. I'd love to go to that World Cup - I'm not sure in what capacity, but I'll definitely be there. I know that nobody wants to miss it, least of all me.

I believe an African team will one day win the World Cup, and it could even be in Brazil.

Zico was my idol. He was a very good player from Flamengo, and I was a Flamengo supporter from Rio de Janeiro. I was always looking for him and saying I want to be like him. He's my big hero.

When it comes to Brazil there are no friendlies.

If I could choose anywhere in Brazil, the club I'd play for is Palmeiras.

I think that the Brazilian football is one of the best in the world. It still is and still struggles for this. We have talented players that can take Brazil to the top.

It's true that when I started out, I was more a fan of attacking players and one in particular: the Brazilian Ronaldo, Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima. Another of my idols was Claudio Caniggia, an Argentinian forward with long hair, who I liked a lot. It's because of him that I started to grow my hair long!

I played against the Brazilians in '82, who were definitely the best team never to have won the World Cup.

I'm a Pele fan from way back when I was a kid, and then there was always this thing later about Pele and Maradona. I was young and impressionable as a kid but it was always Pele for me.

The English season will be over; I'm a Brazilian who loves my country, so of course I will be following and supporting the side as much as any fan.

When Brazil lose, someone has to be guilty, and it's always Rivaldo. It's different with Romario. He plays in Brazil, and they love him more. I'm treated like a foreign player.

Of course when you talk about Corinthians, the club that launched me, I have a great affection. But honestly, I don't think about returning to Brazil.

Tite is doing a great job for the Brazilian national team.

It's all about the climate. I had a long discussion about it when I went to Scotland to see Andy Roxburgh. I worked with a Scottish youth side and had them do the same drills I would do in Italy. I realised that, between the wind, the rain and the cold, there was no way they could do it. How can you possibly teach anybody anything in those conditions? To me, it's pretty obvious and it explains why Brazilians are more technical than Europeans and, in Italy, the further south you go the more technical they are.

A lot of people talk about what the 1982 team did on the pitch but that side was so dear to Brazilian fans also because it featured players that supporters would see in flesh and bone on a regular basis, either at games or even on the streets. Now they basically only see the Selecao on the TV.

The national team is part of my life. I have an incredible history, of many conquests and also many defeats. But to play for Brazil, I have to have a club and play well. I'm not going to be picked on my past or because of my sponsor, as many have said.

The ISL brought together many football cultures such as Italians, Dutch, French, English and Spanish. There were no Brazilians! I brought something from Brazil, a team of professionals that changed something.

I don't think Pele was the ultimate hero for our generation, he is the ultimate hero of every generation of Brazilians.

I am not White Pele. I am simply Zico.