Lip Service

"A dream is more pure than an obsession, an obsession is more about pride. Barca achieved a dream winning the Champions League in Paris and Rome last year but this time it is more about Madrid and playing at the Santiago Bernabeu, this is an obsession."
- Inter manager Jose Mourinho starts the war of words ahead of his side's semi-final second-leg clash against Barcelona at the Nou Camp.

"I think we did a pretty good job with the ball."
- Mitchell Johnson talks up his 4-23 against Zimbabwe in a Twenty20 World Championship warm-up match, while forgetting about Dan Christian's 0-29 off two overs and Shane Watson's 1-34 from two overs.

"It's incredible to win by this scoreline and to have scored three goals. This is perhaps the best match of my life, but above all it's a great overall performance by the team."
- Bayern Munich hat-trick hero Ivica Olic speaks after his side's UEFA Champions League semi-final victory over Lyon.

"Don't start me on them. I think they're a bunch of misfits. I really mean it. I think that there's got to be, going forward, a realisation that players are responsible for what this mob cobble together for them. I think they are a blight on the game."
- News Limited boss John Hartigan tells us what he really thinks about rugby league player agents in the wake of the Melbourne salary cap scandal.

"It's incredible, I was shocked after the match, it's a great feeling: indescribable."
- Unseeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis describes his indescribable feeling after beating world number one Roger Federer in the second round of the ATP Rome tournament.

"At the end of the day, it was such an unusual situation. We were playing against a team who aren't playing by the rules and they were clearly extremely highly motivated, so I feel a little dudded that we copped that."
- Warriors coach Ivan Cleary says what most rugby league fans think after being on the end of a 40-6 thrashing from illegal NRL team Melbourne Storm.

"I'm not looking to say anything to get myself in trouble with the league, but I just don't see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them."
- Orlando Magic centre Dwight Howard gets himself in trouble with the NBA after writing this statement on his internet blog.

"I'll try throughout the rest of my life to keep as much of my personal life as personal as possible, with the understanding - I don't know why - but people want to hear about it."
- Australia Twenty20 captain Michael Clarke, like many cricket fans, can't understand the media's obsession with sports stars' private lives.

"For summer temperatures, we can completely eradicate the inhibition of hosting the World Cup because of weather. What we have created now is for large open space to be cooled and for a large number of people to enjoy their time as they would any other month."
- Qatar's Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani promotes the Emirate's $US4 billion plan to build nine stadiums and renovate three others, all with a high-tech cooling systems which will keep temperatures on the pitch at 27 degrees Celsius, as part of Qatar's bid to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

"This match was difficult with 11 players. With ten against 11 it was historic. It is an incredible joy. I have already won a Champions League, but today was even better."
- Again, it's that man Jose Mourinho, speaking after Inter progressed to the UEFA Champions League final 3-2 on aggregate over Barcelona after losing 1-0 at the Nou Camp.


:: More Lip Service