I am firmly convinced that you shouldn’t necessarily emphasize hedonism, especially at the beginning of a career, but should instead focus entirely on performance.

After the 2006 World Cup, I knew that you don’t always need success, success, success on the pitch.

I have a feeling we are going to be world champions, I can’t really explain why. Brazil are probably the best team in the world in terms of individual players. But the team with the most gifted players do not always win.

It looked pretty wild, but I was actually in control of myself. I’ve never really injured anyone throughout my career.

I’m not the type who spends his free time in training camp playing with his Playstation or playing cards on trips. The other players thought it was odd: There he is, reading again.

After a decade in a club it’s quite normal and necessary that you seek and take a new challenge.

The realization that you’re not always standing down there on the field merely to win, to be successful, was very liberating. One can be successful by helping the team, the other players. All of a sudden I felt the kind of empathy for people that I hadn’t felt before.

I have always seen myself as an athlete. Of course, I made the mistake of unintentionally opening the door to my private life by just a crack. I wouldn’t do the same thing again. It has to be accepted that my private life is private, and if that isn’t the case, I have to do something about it.

I’ve never really seen myself in the role of the victim.

It’s part of my game to occasionally send a message, one that may be unpopular to the outside world, but can be important for the team.