10 best football quotes of 2017

#5 Terry brings passion to his retirement speech

Terry's farewell speech was as passionate as the player himself

John Terry was one of the greatest defenders ever who ended his stay at his boyhood club, Chelsea, this year. The Englishman was the face of the Blues' resurgence in this century and captained the side for the majority of his career. On his final Stamford Bridge appearance, he gave a glowing tribute to the fans saying:

"As a player you always wonder when this day will finally come. Today is that day. I've just melted. The club means everything to me. Thank you will never be enough to (the fans). They have supported me through thick and thin. They have sung my name through the good times and bad and have driven me on."

Needless to say, there were barely any dry eyes at the Bridge at that moment.

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#4 Advocaat's prophecy

Advocaat succumbs to the unpredictable nature of football

Football is truly an unpredictable game where nothing is truly impossible. Despite knowing that, claims are made as a prediction and every once in a while, they backfire spectacularly. 2017 provided one such remarkable instance when the Netherlands boss, Dick Advocaat, spoke ahead of the penultimate round of fixtures in the World Cup qualification in October.

The Dutch trailed second-placed Sweden by three points and were behind on goal-difference by six. Further, both sides were set to meet in the final group game, effectively making it a knockout. Hence, when the Netherlands manager was asked what would happen if Sweden beat Luxembourg by eight goals or a similar margin in the penultimate match, he replied:

"They won't win 8-0, what a stupid question that is. 8-0? Well, no I don't believe that."

The Swedes went on to win their match with the exact scoreline to dent Dutch hopes and Advocaat was expectedly embarrassed.