Eberechi Eze: “I remember the day I got released, my mum said a prayer. She was praying that this reverse would happen. For me, this is a realisation of a prayer that we prayed 20-odd years ago. This is deeper than anyone can understand. I know it’s meant to be.” 🙏❤️
Dear athlete,
Keep going. Keep training. Keep trying. Don't fear rejection. Let it guide your inner feeling. You know what they don't. The tables always turn with consistency and perseverance. Show you. Show me. Show us. There is no choice but to keep chasing it...So chase it!
Mikel Arteta on fans not being convinced by Havertz after three matches: “More than two months [people weren’t convinced by Ødegaard]. Gabriel Magalhães was the same. White could not play as a full-back. Ramsdale wasn’t good enough & now you sign another goalkeeper, it’s a catastrophe! Saka was a left-back, eh? Now he’s playing right-wing. Granit Xhaka, we have so many examples, good examples. The players have to love what they do & I think they love more what they do when they feel supported.” #afc
Bukayo Saka on reading the Bible: “That counts a lot for me. I have several different verses in my mind, not necessarily just one, so I wouldn’t know which one to tell you that I prefer. They help me with challenges in my daily life. Reading the Bible has changed my mindset, it helps me, it is positive.” [@francefootball] #afc
🎙️ Didier Drogba in 2020: "8 years ago at Chelsea, our coach Villas-Boas was sacked by the club and us players had a team meeting where we acknowledged our part of the responsibility for his departure. Captain John Terry spoke, Frank Lampard, Petr Cech and the other leaders of the group also spoke.
We then decided to put all our strength into the Champions League even though we had just lost 3-1 against Napoli in the first leg of the round of 16. We had been chasing this trophy for 8 years and we hadn’t finished better than runner-up. Everyone decided to put their egos aside and fight for each other, with the same goal.
After that meeting, I asked 23-year-old Juan Mata for help: "Please, Maestro, help me win the Champions League."
He looked at me like he was saying, "Man, you're crazy. You're Didier Drogba, it's up to you to help me win."
I replied that "I have been at Chelsea for 8 years and I have never won it. So believe me, you are the guy who will help us win it. I will even give you a gift if we win it.”
Three months later, we were in Munich for the final, in their stadium submerged in a red wave. Bayern were leading 1-0 with 8 minutes remaining and I was discouraged. But a young man named Juan Mata told me: "Keep believing Didier, you have to keep believing".
Me, I was in tears and I answered him: “Believe in what? It's over, I'm going to cry like a few months ago when I lost the AFCON final with Ivory Coast.”
And then, we play the final minute and we get a corner. Last minute, last corner. Juan Mata takes it and the rest is history! The lesson of all this is "ALWAYS BELIEVE". 💙