--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Football has never been about young or…" description: "\"Football has never been about young or old players - it is about good or bad players. If you're 13 or 31 and good enough, you're not too young or old.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/michael-ballack-5062_bad_football-has-never-been-about-young-or-o_440594.jpg" --- # Football has never been about young or old players - it is… ![“Football has never been about young or old players - it is about good or bad players. If you're 13 or 31 and good enough, you're not too young or old.” quote by Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/michael-ballack-5062_bad_football-has-never-been-about-young-or-o_440594.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/michael-ballack-5062_bad_football-has-never-been-about-young-or-o_440594.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e9e/michael-ballack-5062_bad_football-has-never-been-about-young-or-o_440594.jpg) > “Football has never been about young or old players - it is about good or bad players. If you're 13 or 31 and good enough, you're not too young or old.” [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Skill, not age, determines suitability for sport; talent transcends age. **In simple terms:** Skill matters more than age. Key Takeaway Focus on developing ability regardless of age. Themes sports talent age inclusion Mood inspirational pragmatic Type sports motivational When to use this quote - team selection - coaching strategies - personal development Key Concepts performance metrics career longevity Questions to Reflect On - How can older athletes maintain competitiveness? - What support helps younger players improve? A Different Perspective Physical decline may affect performance over time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-players-443234/) [Enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enough/) [Football](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football/) [Football Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-young-667459/) [Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good/) [Good enough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-enough/) [Old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old/) [Old Players](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/old-players-957165/) [Players 13](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/players-13-3864275/) [Players Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/players-good/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [I have had players who are good, and who know they are good; I have had players who are bad and know they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bear-bryant/i-have-had-players-who-are-good-and-who-know-they-are-good-i-have-had/) [Bear Bryant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bear-bryant/) > [Everyone goes through those stretches. Everyone you talk to in this game, old coaches, old teammates, old players, whatnot, they all have those, 'Oh,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-rendon/everyone-goes-through-those-stretches-everyone-you-talk-to-in-this/) [Anthony Rendon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-rendon/) > [The trouble for today's footballers is they have too many distractions. We used to get our old players coming to watch training with football…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franz-beckenbauer/the-trouble-for-today-s-footballers-is-they-have-too-many/) [Franz Beckenbauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franz-beckenbauer/) > [It's time for old players like me, old fogies like me, to give it up and let the young players have a chance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-watson/it-s-time-for-old-players-like-me-old-fogies-like-me-to-give-it-up/) [Tom Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-watson/) > [What is good with the English clubs is that they respect the old players.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-pires/what-is-good-with-the-english-clubs-is-that-they-respect-the-old/) [Robert Pires](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-pires/) > [If you buy too many bad players, you don't last in this game.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-redknapp/if-you-buy-too-many-bad-players-you-don-t-last-in-this-game/) [Harry Redknapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-redknapp/) > [You can bluff the good players, but not the bad players. 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Because when I was young, all what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-adebayor/you-know-us-in-africa-all-what-we-know-all-what-we-dream-about-is/) [Emmanuel Adebayor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuel-adebayor/) > [When you're growing up, you have your heroes, and you hear about people going off to other countries to play football, but when you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nwankwo-kanu/when-you-re-growing-up-you-have-your-heroes-and-you-hear-about-people/) [Nwankwo Kanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nwankwo-kanu/) > [I wasn't good at football when I was young but I made myself get good at football because of my mentality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-yarde/i-wasn-t-good-at-football-when-i-was-young-but-i-made-myself-get-good/) [Anthony Yarde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-yarde/) > [I started playing football young, and my career was on the pitch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pep-guardiola/i-started-playing-football-young-and-my-career-was-on-the-pitch/) [Pep Guardiola](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pep-guardiola/) > [I really loved football from a young age. 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But I have other interests beside football, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/i-was-able-to-turn-my-hobby-into-my-profession-and-i-am-thankful-for/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [I played in the Champions League constantly for 12 or 13 years in my career, and I reached only two finals. I know how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/i-played-in-the-champions-league-constantly-for-12-or-13-years-in-my/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [I played at the highest level throughout my career and I'm happy about that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/i-played-at-the-highest-level-throughout-my-career-and-i-m-happy/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Things aren't always full of sunshine, there has to be friction at times as well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/things-aren-t-always-full-of-sunshine-there-has-to-be-friction-at/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Mario Gotze is a great player, but one of my favourites is Marco Reus, who is a fantastic player, and one of the very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/mario-gotze-is-a-great-player-but-one-of-my-favourites-is-marco-reus/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Chelsea is an ambitious club and it will always be possible that a coach and the players are competitive at the highest level.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/chelsea-is-an-ambitious-club-and-it-will-always-be-possible-that-a/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [We will give everything for the FA Cup, Champions League and Premier League.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/we-will-give-everything-for-the-fa-cup-champions-league-and-premier/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [A leader on the pitch is someone who can turn a game in the right direction, he isn't someone who has a go at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/a-leader-on-the-pitch-is-someone-who-can-turn-a-game-in-the-right/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [A player can't request on what position he wants to play, and it is the same with the captaincy. 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But not to win a big international title is also part of my career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/i-had-a-great-career-but-not-to-win-a-big-international-title-is-also/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [The coach is the first person who is under pressure but when a new manager comes you should give him time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/the-coach-is-the-first-person-who-is-under-pressure-but-when-a-new/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Sure, Mourinho was obviously crucial for my move to Chelsea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/sure-mourinho-was-obviously-crucial-for-my-move-to-chelsea/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) > [Mesut is an amazing player.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-ballack/mesut-is-an-amazing-player/) [Michael Ballack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) [Explore all 103 Michael Ballack quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-ballack/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. 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