Soccer slogans 2024

Klopp: “Biggest loss of face in history”

Jürgen Klopp

(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

In 2024, the sporting world once again provided plenty of excitement and smiles. Here is a selection of the best sayings from soccer.

"It would be the biggest loss of face in the history of soccer to say I'm making an exception for you." Jürgen Klopp insists on his coaching time-out after the rumored interest from European Championship finalist England in July.

"The pig has been driven through the village enough." A good two weeks later, Rapid coach Robert Klauß calls for an end to the discussions about verbal slurs made by players after the derby.

"The Federal Conciliation Board is obviously biased. It was like a soccer match between Russia and Ukraine with a team of referees from Russia and Belarus and a team of video referees from China." VdF Association Chairman Gernot Baumgartner on the revocation of the VdF's collective bargaining status in favor of the younion union.

"Because I've had enough now. We really do a lot. It can't be that the clubs are rotting from the inside out." Sports Minister Werner Kogler at the end of February in reaction to disparaging comments from the Rapid camp against Austria Vienna after the derby, which was won 3:0.

Ralf Rangnick

(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

"Like in the Waldorf school"
"It's not like a Waldorf school, where we're constantly doing one school circle after the other." ÖFB team boss Ralf Rangnick on the fact that he is in contact with the European Championship candidates, but does not speak to them on the phone every week.

"To be able to score a hat-trick in the time-honored Happel Stadium - it's amazing that I can experience that." Michael Gregoritsch after his treble in the 6:1 win in the European Championship test against Turkey.

"A final spurt like that is something fantastic, you have to be made for it. It's like boiling hot water. You either become as soft as a potato or you become like a hard-boiled egg. We tend to have the second type of guys." Sturm Graz coach Christian Ilzer ahead of the final rounds of the championship.

"Dear Sturm family, please put a lot of energy into the last 90 minutes. We want to see the jam in injury time." Appeal from Sturm president Christian Jauk ahead of the final championship round.

"We've shown that it's also possible to knock a giant like Salzburg off their throne." Christian Ilzer after Sturm Graz secured the championship title.

Christian Ilzer

(Bild: GEPA pictures)

"Jewel of the south of Austria"
"We are the jewel of the south of Austria." Christian Jauk after Sturm Graz won the league title.

"We're no longer in a coma, we're no longer in intensive care, we're in bed and still recovering." Austria sporting director Jürgen Werner on the financial state of Austria Wien.

"I haven't won many titles with this team, but I have collected a lot of relationships." Werner Gregoritsch on his announcement of the end of his twelve-year career as ÖFB U21 team manager.

"It took us 15 months to get you. I was in Belgrade twice, it was a really difficult birth. But they say they're the best children." Jürgen Werner on new signing Aleksandar Dragovic.

"It was a kick up the backside that hurt and it got through to everyone." Sturm Graz coach Christian Ilzer after the opening Bundesliga defeat at Rapid.

Dietmar Kühbauer

(Bild: GEPA)

"Had several heart attacks"
"He was constantly running after me, but rarely got the ball. His approach was ball or jack, then it was usually my feet. But I always got up again." Dietmar Kühbauer on his fellow coach Manfred Schmid, looking back on their active soccer career.

"In two days of training, we have to get the boys back into the mindset of heavy metal rock 'n' roll and not the slow waltz. You can do the slow waltz in senior dancing, but we don't want to be senior dancers - not even me, even though I'm almost one." Team boss Ralf Rangnick ahead of the October international double.

"You can't just take us for fools and think we're stupid. The lads are too clever for that, and we're too clever too." Rangnick on the separation from Bernhard Neuhold, ÖFB managing director of commercial operations, whom he and the national team's team council have spoken out in favor of retaining.

"That was a game today in which I had several heart attacks. The team can no longer do that to me, who will soon be 54 years old. If anything, I might as well jump off a bridge." WAC coach Dietmar Kühbauer after his team had turned a 3-0 deficit at GAK into a 4-3 win from the 80th minute onwards.

Jan Age Fjörtoft

(Bild: ServusTV / Philipp Carl Riedl)

"Konrad Laimer is almost like Forrest Gump."
 "If there's a Langer in the penalty area, then you should feed him." Sasa Kalajdzic calls for crosses before his debut for Frankfurt.

"In the games, we have to be fighters and not celebrate the old man on the sidelines." Jürgen Klopp after Liverpool fans celebrated him following the announcement of his departure.

"Red card for the blue card." FIFA President Gianni Infantino rejects the idea of a ten-minute time penalty.

"Konrad Laimer is almost like Forrest Gump." TV pundit Jan Age Fjörtoft admires the running performance of Bayern's ÖFB international.

"Football rewards those who score goals, not those who hit the woodwork." Coach Luis Enrique after his team Paris SG hit the bar six times in their Champions League semi-final exit against Dortmund.

"Thomas can handle the rappers - and the ones who yodel." German national coach Julian Nagelsmann justifies Thomas Müller's European Championship call-up.

"It's a good book. And when we read it in the future, we'll have a smile on our faces." Jürgen Klopp on his departure from Liverpool after nine years as coach of the Reds.

"I will eat salmon, pasta and broccoli again. And then take a nap for an hour. In the afternoon, when all my thoughts are focused on the game, I get nervous. Then my heart rate rises to 120 beats per minute. But when the game starts, I'm calm again." Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti on his routines ahead of the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund.

"Leo was born to be on the soccer pitch." Argentina team boss Lionel Scaloni on his captain Lionel Messi after winning the Copa America title.

(Bild: APA/LaPresse)

"I don't break records, they haunt me."
 "I'm probably the record silver medal holder in the Champions League. I've lost more Champions League finals than most people have played." Klopp, as coach loser of three finals in Europe's "premier class".

"I could very well have coached my great-grandson instead. (...) But I couldn't say no to the national team." The 79-year-old Mircea Lucescu becomes Romania's team coach for the second time 38 years later.

"We have to make sure that they don't take the highway, but stay on the highway." Braga coach Carlos Carvalhal with a recipe to keep Rapid at bay in the Europa League play-off.

"I don't break records, they chase me." Cristiano Ronaldo on scoring the 900th goal of his professional career.

"Norway's most embarrassing defeat since scoring zero points at the Eurovision Song Contest." Jan Aage Fjörtoft on his countrymen's 5-1 away defeat against the ÖFB team in the Nations League.

"I have to find solutions and I can't find any solutions. It's as simple as that. I'm not feeling well, that's the truth." Star coach Pep Guardiola in the midst of Manchester City's negative streak.