Nuno Espirito Santo

“You cannot have a situation where you think that if you want to attack, then you play this formation, and if you want to defend, then you play this formation.”

“When you sign a contract, you must respect that.”

“Our ambition is to win every game regardless of the opponent.”

“We're trying to improve everyone. It doesn't matter if he cost £10 million, £15 million, £200 million. There is always space to do something better.”

“My interpretation of football is to stay humble, work hard, and things will come.”

“We work on our set pieces for every opponent. It's a moment of the game that requires a lot of hard work, defensive and offensively. We try to invest our time in set pieces.”

“What sells more, criticism or compliments? What do people like more? They enjoy blood.”

“I truly believe you have to take things as they come, win or lose, and keep believing in how you want to do things and how you want to play.”

“When you realise that the ball is faster than you, you say to yourself, 'OK, I love the game. I want to go on in this game, but not as a player.'”

“I love watching the Premier League.”

“There is no point staying on the past.”

“I'm a coach who likes to have the ball, but what I really think is, 'How can you be in charge of the game?' I think, but maybe I am the only one, that the defensive process can take care of the game. Why is that? Because teams wait to defend. If you create something where you go to defend, to steal the ball where you want, it's different.”

“Every game is a chance to improve.”

“I live in peace.”

“This is one of the challenges we have: knowing that playing without the ball is just as important as when you have the ball.”

“Life is continually changing. This is what makes people better.”

“Time is always important; sometimes time doesn't always go along with patience. It is always important. You have to deal with it. It's part of football. Every decision is judged.”

“Representing your country is what you want.”

“In Portugal, seeing a black cat is a bad sign; it's bad luck. But they tell me if it crosses from left to right, it's good luck. But I don't like black cats!”

“I was late, as a player, many times. If you have bad traffic, what are you doing to do? Make a miracle? Sometimes it happens.”