The 2014 Gala has been no exception. Sitting down with some of the game’s men and women of the moment, we conducted an extensive series of exclusive interviews before and after the glittering show, all of which will be available for you to read and watch in the coming weeks.
To whet your appetite, here is just a taster of what some of the distinguished guests gracing this year’s FIFA Ballon d’Or Gala had to say.
Andres Iniesta
“Barcelona have got what it takes to be fighting for every title this year. Obviously, your job gets harder when people start talking more about what’s happening off the pitch than on it. The only way to turn things around, though, is by playing well and getting results.”
Angel di Maria
“Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are different types of players, but there’s no question they’re the best two around. FIFA should have two Ballons d’Ors: one for them to contest and another for the rest.”
Cristiano Ronaldo
“The fact is, if I think back to the first time I was invited to this ceremony, I’d never have imagined this scene being repeated so many times. Every time I come back it feels great. All those achievements are starting to feel even more special now that my son Cristiano understands what’s going on and knows why I’m here.”
Carlo Ancelotti
“I’ve always said that Zinedine Zidane was the player I most enjoyed watching in training, because of the things he did. And Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the players I most enjoy watching on the pitch. He’s a perfectionist and he has an awful lot of talent, but he works very hard to polish that talent and improve the many attributes that he possesses.”
Diego Simeone
“I haven’t watched the Champions League final against Real Madrid again, and that’s not just because it hurts. I mean, what’s the point of watching it all over again when I can’t change the outcome? We really competed for a long time in that game, but it all went wrong in one fatal minute and we lost. Reaching the Champions League final was one of the high points of a spectacular year.”
Joachim Low
“You can’t achieve perfection.”
Stephanie Roche
“I honestly couldn’t believe it when I got the email saying I’d been nominated for the Puskás Award. I never thought anything like that was possible for someone like me. It’s just incredible to be here and to have the opportunity to meet people like Cristiano Ronaldo. I’m a Manchester United fan and he’s my hero.”
Toni Kroos
“I can’t say if we reached our peak in 2014 or before. I knew how good we were before 2014, but what changed last year was our mental approach. Winning titles helped us become more aware of the quality we have and to have more faith in it.”
Aside from that esteemed octet, we also caught up with the likes of Abby Wambach, Alessandro Del Piero, Arjen Robben, James Rodriguez, Marta, Philipp Lahm, Sergio Ramos and Thierry Henry, whose exclusive thoughts will be online for you to enjoy in the days to come.
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