Updated at 18.30 pm, July 05, 2006
What they're saying at the World Cup:
Figo and Cristiano have had their own training schedule. We’re going to see how they go today. The probability at the moment is that Cristiano has a better chance of recovering.
- Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari
Zidane is still one of the best in the world. His ball skills are unequaled. When he came into form, France started winning. I just hope he has a quiet game against us.
- Portuguese defender Miguel on Zinedine Zidane ahead of their semifinal clash.
We’ve got a phrase not a song this time. It’s a phrase which holds the team together. You’ll find out what it is at the end of the competition, perhaps one of the players will divulge it.
- France’s Lilian Thuram on what the team’s sources of motivation are.
I think it will be tougher against Portugal. They have talented individuals like Brazil and they are better organised as a team. We can see the summit but we’re not up there yet.
- French midfielder Franck Ribery
Against Germany, we have to win - however we can
Argentina captain Juan Pablo Sorin on the match against Germany
I suppose for him it's important to go far in this tournament because it will be his last big appearance, but we will try to make sure that doesn't happen
-- Spain striker Fernando Torres on Zinedine Zidane
I don't think that it was such a violent match to merit so many sendings off-- Portugal’s Maniche after the match against Holland In three-and-a-half years of coaching Portugal I have never ended a match with just nine players
-- Portugal coachScolari after the world cup clash against Holland.
I will never be able to justify and understand why I am not the No 1 still
-- Oliver Kahn in an interview with Der Spiegel on him being dropped as No 1 goal Keeper by Klinsmann
You'll have to ask the players what happened.
-- Eriksson says the case for the defence is unclear after Sweden were allowed to grab a 2-2 draw.
No, I don't regret it at all.
-- Defiant England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson says 'je ne regrette rien' regarding selecting just four strikers in his squad, the quartet now down to a trio following injury to Michael Owen.
Haven't worked with videos for years - it sends me to sleep.
-- Spanish coach Luis Aragones says he didn't resort to the video approach ahead of the game with Saudi Arabia
They're playing at around 75 percent of their capabilities.
-- Aragones says Brazil are keeping their powder dry.
I think myself and Wayne can complement each other and it can work.
-- Peter Crouch says he can be a foil for Wayne Rooney in the absence of Michael Owen.
I passionately believe real world-class players play better when the pressure is at its greatest.
-- Former England rugby union manager Clive Woodward says England must crank up the pressure.
Everything will by analysed but for a nation such as ours, playing at home, the minimum has to be the last four.
-- German coach Jurgen Klinsmann says sights must be set high.
There is no way we will cancel the contract of Paqueta.
-- Sounds like the proverbial vote of confidence from Prince Nawaf bin Faisal, the vice-president of the Saudi Arabia Football Federation, in coach Marcos Paqueta.
Here, it's Scolari or Big Phil. Not Felipao.
- Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari chides a journalist for using his Brazilian nickname.
As soon as it happened I knew I was in trouble.
- England star Michael Owen on the injury which finished his World Cup.
I feel very sorry for him to miss out on the rest of the World Cup -- it's a blow to him and a big loss for the team.
- England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson laments the loss of Owen.
History will in the future remember only who is the winner, or maybe sometimes the runner-up. All the others will remain in distant history.
- Ilija Petkovic, the coach of eliminated Serbia and Montenegro.
Now it's easy to speak about everything, maybe we need something from a psychologist. For us the most important thing is to save face and go home.
- Petkovic on the rows that have riven his squad since they arrived in Germany.
I'm very happy because I won't be going to jail after the match against Argentina we lost 6-0 -- it's only football.
- Petkovic looks on the bright side.
The main thing is that the people can see we're playing for them, and that they can believe in us again.
- Ukraine star Andriy Shevchenko says the loss to Spain is water under the bridge.
I think the team can be proud of what they have achieved so far.
- Germany coach Jurgen Klinsmannn says it's mission accomplished regarding their Group A win.
We’re going to improve with every game. The World Cup is a marathon, not a sprint.
- Brazil striker Ronaldinho, on his team’s approach
Games like that are always difficult for the Brazils of this world. Everyone expects a gala display — the Brazil you see in the adverts.
- Francisco Maturana, former Columbia player, on the challenge strong teams like Brazil face when playing against supposed minnows. Brazil meet Japan on Thursday in their last league match
My favourites for the title are Togo, of course. There is one other team. Brazil, I think their name is.
- Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor on which team he favours
The fact this game is against Australia is destiny.
-Croatia’s Australian-born defender Josip Simunic looks forward to the match against old friends
We have too many bookings, too many players suspended and too many injured.
-It’s all going rather pear-shaped for Czech star Pavel Nedved
We would like to stay here longer, we like it here so much.
- Angola midfielder Paulo Figueiredo wishes his side’s campaign could go into extra-time
We are back on the football map. A lot of people now know that Ukraine is not only Shevchenko, there are several other good players in this team.
- Ukraine player Serhiy Rebrov
We were supposed to be the whipping boys of this tournament and we were supposed to be out of the competition by now.
- T&T captain Dwight Yorke
There’s no doubt that Israel is a state fraught with controversy and problems. But on Saturday, one Ghanaian showed the whole world there is more to life here.
- Jerusalem Post, commenting on Ghana’s John Pantsil waving an Israeli flag after his team’s second goal against the Czech Republic
We had a strong match against Croatia and then another strong match against Australia. But you (Australia) have a chance to qualify if you can play the same way you did against Brazil.
- Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, approbating the Australian team
It was wet, the ball was greasy on the turf and we struggled with that. We don’t have a lot of rain in Saudi Arabia so we’re not used to playing on a wet ground. It’s not an excuse, though.
- Saudi Arabia coach Marcos Paqueta
I have left him to boil in his own soup. He is a fantastic guy but he must change his computer chip.
- Italy coach Marcello Lippi rages about his midfielder Daniele de Rossi
Tunisia’s goalkeeper Ali Boumnijel is the only player at the tournament who was alive when England won the World Cup in 1966.
-World Cup trivia
At times Brazil struggled to cope with us, which is great.
- Australian skipper Mark Viduka
You’ve got to criticise someone, so it might as well be me. But I’ve got broad shoulders and I am totally at ease with myself.
-- Michael Owen
International football, more than any other, is about occupying the middle ground.
-- Jamie Redknapp does Tony Blair proud
The medical people say he can play more than 45 minutes so if that is the case then it is better he starts than he comes on.
-- said England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson on Rooney
We've set a goal and we're not going to stop until we achieve it.
-- Argentine midfielder Javier Mascherano.
I know them inside out. If everyone is fit, it should be no surprise how they play.
-- Togo coach Otto Pfister on the Swiss team
You're just not seeing it because we're not firing on all cylinders at the moment
-- England’s Michel Owen on his form
Defeated and humiliated.
-- Headine in Politika newspaper, after Serbia and Montenegro are thrashed 6-0 by Argentina.
We were playing six-a-side football.
Argentinian striker Hernan Crespo on making it look easy against the Serbs.
It's an absolutely terrible result, the worst in our history, and I've got to take responsibility for it.
-- Serb coach Ilija Petkovic takes the defeat on the chin.
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