Player Initiative Quotes

Obviously, as a manager, you decide the set-up of the team, who's playing, but when it comes to doing the things I want, I have principles, but I also want to leave it open for the players to find their own solutions. At the end of the day, it's also about the individual.

Every day in practice I have to lead by example. But at the same time, when people aren't doing what they're supposed to be doing, you're responsible as a player. You can't rely on the coaches to say everything. The players have to be responsible and take ownership of the team. Every day in practice there are situations where you need to say something and get a message across, but do it in the right way.

After the '96 Olympics, we all started believing that this is bigger than we thought, and we were willing to do the work. We knew that it was up to us, the players, to make soccer successful.

A player-led team is better than a coach-led team, no doubt.

In Brazil, the coach respects the player's characteristics. In Europe, they are used to playing with two lines of four players, and they don't want to know what you can do. There, if you are a forward, the coach sends you on to the pitch just to run. You have to run, and that's it.

The coaches can only put us in the right position, but it's up to the players to take the action.

People usually think that it is the coach who has to raise the spirits of his players; that it is the coach who has to convince his footballers; that it is his job to take the lead all the time. But that's not always the case.

Some players get over-dependable on their coaches.