What we have to do is to find a solution that the interests of the national teams are respecting the interests of the clubs. And also the clubs they shall respect the interests and the aspirations of national teams.
International friendlies, they mean something, but what you want is to play on the biggest stage, play under the lights.
Continuity is very important for national teams.
It was my proudest moment as a manager when England drew 0-0 with Italy in Rome to qualify for the World Cup finals. Fifteen years later, the stakes are equally high for both countries as they go head-to-head for a semi-final place at the European Championship.
There's never a lot of Brazillian football played in these games.
Argentina have always had the best strikers in the world.
There are a lot of programs, a lot of teams now that have the backing of federations, the growth of the game domestically. You see this with Holland; you see this with Italy. It's a matter of time. I had to leave my home country to go and experience the game. Now, it's delightful that these countries are actively supporting women's football.
German football is very different to football in South America.
Hockey lends itself to special events, including the Olympic competition: a glorious tournament of the best players in the world, putting on their national jerseys and playing on big rinks with no-goon Olympic rules and referee enforcement.
I don't think the qualifying fixtures excite people. They're games against countries that we are expected to beat, rightly so, and then how many we score dictates whether it's a good performance or not.
I'd had success with the junior England teams.
Perhaps if England and Scotland together had one team we could at least beat the Germans.
If I went to play for Lithuania or Latvia, no one would have talked about it.
You don't want to turn up like a Nepal or an Ireland where the entire world thinks that you're not going to win. You rather turn up like an India or an Australia or an England where everybody says this team is going to win the World Cup.
Argentina and Brasil are both extremely good south american teams who'll play a central role at the worldcup.
What differences were there between Maradona and Platini?
Obviously, international rugby is a different level, but there are some really good players around.
International football is different to the Premier League.
If you're a sports fan, it is really cool when you see the best-on-best for hockey at the Olympics.
The first World Cup I followed was Sweden 1958. I watched the games on TV. Brazil won that World Cup by defeating Sweden 5-2 in the Final and Pele scored twice.
When people ask me what club I supported growing up, I didn't really watch club soccer. The only channels I got had World Cups and the Copa America, so I gravitated toward the Latin American, South American style of game.
Nobody is offered a World Cup.
Argentina produces great footballers, but Uruguay does the same.
I think that all the countries that qualify for a World Cup finals deserve respect and if they are there it is because they have won that right.
There is nothing nicer than playing in a World Cup against France, England, or Spain. There is nothing nicer than instead of playing a friendly, you can play a game where, if you win, you can make history.
