Sometimes a pinch of sadism is the ingredient that makes victory taste that little bit sweeter. - Andrea Pirlo

Being first on the spot, kicking off that torture in the biggest, most incredible game that a player can play or imagine...that's not necessarily good news. It means that they think you're the best, but it also means that if you miss, you're first on the list of dickheads.

I thought about quitting after Istanbul because nothing made sense any more...I no longer felt like a man. All of a sudden, football had become the least important thing, precisely because it was the most important: a very painful contradiction. I didn't dare look in the mirror in case my reflection spat back at me. The only possible solution I could think of was to retire.

Passing judgement on others is always a lot of fun. Looking inwards is that little bit more difficult.