THEY SAID IT...

“I can say to you today there is nothing, really nothing. You told me there are some people who are coming to me and said, ‘Yeah, Coach, this and that.’ If Hugo Broos is leaving South Africa, then it will be because the Federation decides I leave. That’s all. I’m happy with my job. I’m happy with the team. I’m not always happy with the media, but okay, I take it.”

Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos on reports that Algeria and Tunisia want his services.

“I’m sure of it. One thing is the contract, the other is how comfortable he feels. He knows we will have a top team next year.”

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes believes coach Xabi Alonso will stay at the club next season. Many are tipping him to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool for the 2024-25 campaign.

“When one player scores 60 goals, it helps you to win games. When you play with a player that makes a thousand million assists, it helps you to win games. You don’t have to study at Harvard or Yale to understand that.” Pep Guardiola on Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne’s huge contributions to Manches- ter City’s successes.

“It’s difficult for me to realise this all right now. When I think about all we went through, the hard times when we were al- most out and the matches where we came back in last minutes, we have created some miracles. But it is also because we kept fight- ing to the last minute when the odds were against us. We were close to humiliation but when we had a second chance, we were determined not to waste it.”

Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae after their Af- rica Cup of Nations triumph.

*“If there is no rain on my farm, you kill the business of my farm. That is a stress. You can lose your hair. But I cannot lose my hair be- cause we’re not winning because the oppo- nent was better than us.”

Coach Mauricio Pochettino puts Chelsea’s struggles this season into perspective.