A Quote by Juan Mata

Every player thinks he's Maradona when he joins a big club. That happens to all of us, but then you start to notice it in the younger players. You see kids who think they're rock stars, wearing extravagant clothes and driving fancy cars... and sometimes you have to take them aside and have a word.
In training and at the club, players know that the player is good. You notice when the guy arrives, who's the ace, who's the player who maybe can't take the level.
A player can have all the quality and everything it takes to play for a big-six team or to play for the best teams in the world but then sometimes it happens and it doesn't work out. It's not because of the player or the club, sometimes it's just the environment, it's the wrong timing.
I want the younger kids, the basketball players in high school and college to hear from me and let them know that when you come to the league, this is what happens and this is how I feel as an NBA player. And it's not all peachy keen.
You start going to games when you're younger but you think it's the norm that every football club in the world has that many fans, but as you get older you realise they don't! And you realise just how big a club Newcastle is.
I read reviews every time. I read them all. Sometimes they can be very constructive, sometimes not, but it's always interesting to see the opinion of others on what you are doing. Sometimes I am very furious, but I will never say to a journalist, "Please don't come back to the next show." Never. Because I think that's a very stupid attitude. I am very happy when I see the results of the company and when I see people wearing my clothes or my accessories. I think this is the best answer to criticism.
Have I ever been horrified to see someone in my clothes? Many times, but I close my eyes and look the other way. That happens to everyone. What can you do? Go and tell her, 'Don't wear that dress again'? We designers always have fantasies in our heads, but the difficult task is to make them reality. Because you can be the best designer, but designing in your own place and with nobody wearing [your clothes], then what happens? You're nowhere.
I don't take fancy vacations. I buy all my jewelry at Claire's. I can't remember the last time I went out to a fancy dinner. My family lives in a modest two-bedroom apartment, and my kids share a bedroom. But I do have one extravagant vice: shoes.
Bullies now aren't just jocks. They're rich kids in the nice cars with the fancy clothes.
Everything is always equal between every player; no one is ahead of anyone. Sometimes one player plays, then others play. It's normal at every club, not just Barca.
I have played against (Michel) Platini, (Diego) Maradona, (Johan) Cruyff and played with George Best — a lot of big names, but none of them has been able to do what Messi does. Two years ago I said that the best player I played against was Maradona and the best player I have played with was Bestie. But I can now say I have never seen a player as good as Messi. He’s in a league of his own.
If your kids remember anything, it's the fact that you were there. You're gonna fail every day, you're gonna make mistakes, you're gonna do things wrong, but as long as you're there, they remember that. And I see that. Our kids are so young, but they know that we're at every basketball game. We take them with us to places, we engage them. It's not helicopter parenting we just keep them around us. It's that bond. If you lose that it's hard to get it back. I think by showing up, kids, they're always connected to you.
The main point is that I think if we want the Earth to survive and everybody to have a positive future, we have to stop thinking in terms of religions and races. We have to face that we are all on the planet Earth together, and we have to figure out how we all survive. It makes no sense if we are all driving hybrid cars, but China pumps massive amounts of CO2 in the air. If we don't start working together and find solutions - if every country thinks only in terms of, "First we, then the other nations" - then we will fail.
As a player, I could have the ball in my hands; I could kind of dictate what happens. I'm still learning, a young coach with young players. Sometimes I'm going to see things. They're not going to see what I see. So it's being able to translate that and help them see what I'm seeing.
You tend to put your rock stars on pedestals - they seem like they've been there for time immemorial. But you realize that the rock stars have their own rock stars. They were fans and kids once, too.
I never lacked respect to the fans and I think every player should be allowed to stay or leave a club. You are not obligated to remain at a club, if you wish to leave then the player has that right.
When a player joins Real Madrid's first team, they're often under pressure to be an instant success. By joining Castilla, I had the chance to understand the club and get to know the players, the culture, the country and the language.
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