Brendon McCullum said England "over-prepared" after losing the second Ashes Test to Australia
Mohamed Salah made explosive comments about Liverpool and manager Arne Slot after being left on the bench thrice
Manolo Marquez summarized what he felt was the crux of the Indian football crisis in one pithy line
The proverb 'actions speak louder than words' holds extremely true in sports. But there often are moments where the words elevate the occasion, imbuing meaning, gravitas or mirth when viewed in context.
Time and again in 2025, athletes and administrators presented their unique takes on situations or achievements, sometimes raising eyebrows and other times eliciting laughter. Here are some of the most memorable, controversial and hilarious sports quotes from the year gone by:
Mo Salah' 'Thrown Under The Bus' Remark
Disappointed after ending up as an unused substitute in his third consecutive game starting on the bench, Liverpool's star forward Mohamed Salah was blunt as it gets about his feelings.
"I have done so much for this club down the years, and especially last season. Now I'm sitting on the bench, and I don't know why. It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame," he said.
Salah made no bones about his equation with manager Arne Slot either, adding: "I said many times before that I had a good relationship with the manager and, all of a sudden, we don't have any relationship. I don't know why, but it seems to me, how I see it, that someone doesn't want me in the club."
McCullum's Viral 'Over-Prepared' Ashes Comment
After suffering an eight-wicket defeat to Australia in the second Ashes Test in Brisbane, England coach Brendon 'Baz' McCullum said something that instantly made its way into the meme world. "Leading into this Test match, I actually felt like we over-prepared, to be honest," McCullum told Australian broadcaster Channel 7.
He added: "I think the boys just need a few days off, and probably need to just change up a few of the training methods a little bit. I'm a horse-racing man, and you wouldn't just keep doing the same thing with your horse, you'd send it around in figure-eights or over the little jumps, just to try and switch it on a bit. We'll look at some alternative methods over the next few days."
Whatever the English team eventually tried didn't work, as Australia clinched the Ashes urn after the third Test itself.
'Best Day' Of McIlroy's 'Golfing Life'
Rory McIlroy was understandably ecstatic after winning the Augusta Masters 2025 and completing his career grand slam, becoming only the sixth man to do so. His words revealed what it meant to him.
“In my eyes, I’d just done this thing that I wanted to do my whole life. There was a lot of pent up emotion that just came out on the 18th green. But a moment like that makes all of the years and close calls worth it. It’s the best day of my golfing life. I have literally made my dreams come true.”
God Fought For Me: Rodrigues
Jemimah Rodrigues' incredible unbeaten 127-run knock was the point of inflexion in India's rollercoaster (and ultimately victorious) Women's World Cup campaign. After getting the team past the finish line against the formidable Australia in the semi-final, the 25-year-old thanked divine powers.
"Towards the end, I was just quoting a scripture from the Bible - to just stand still and that God will fight for me. I just stood there and he fought for me. A lot inside me was left, but was trying to stay calm. I want to thank Jesus, could not do this on my own," she said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
Marquez's Pithy Indian Football Take
Manolo Marquez had a bitter taste of what it's like to be the Indian football team's head coach, before he was "let go" in July. He went on to guide FC Goa to the AIFF Super Cup title but remains acutely aware of the crisis afoot with regards to Indian Super League.
Speaking with ESPN recently, Marquez summarized what he felt was the crux of the issue in one line: "...in India everyone speaks, speaks, speaks, but there are no solutions."
AIFF Chief Chaubey On Messi Fiasco
All India Football Federation president and BJP leader Kalyan Chaubey claimed that the chaos and vandalism during football superstar Lionel Messi’s event at the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata will have a wide fallout and damage Kolkata’s reputation for over 50 years.
"This is not a loss for just one person or any political party; it is a loss for Bengal and for the whole country. If today India bids for an international match in West Bengal, this event will act as an impediment. It is not just about today, when the event could not be held properly, its impact will be felt for 50 years in Bengal," he said.
D Gukesh Reminds Magnus Carlsen Of Himself From 2009
Known for his acerbic and controversy-ridden statements usually, world number one Magnus Carlsen had words of praise for reigning world chess champion D Gukesh after winning Norway Chess.
"Looking at Gukesh play, I feel it’s quite similar to what I was doing in 2008-2009, when I was breaking through. It wasn’t always so pretty. There was this tournament for instance, Linares 2008, where Vishy [Viswanathan Anand] was cruising in first place and I was just like playing crazy games and honestly getting more out of the positions than what my pure chess skill suggested."
Darts Champ's Ridiculous Starting Age
Having become world darts champions at all of 17, Luke Littler put his journey in perspective: “I started off at 18 months old, in a nappy, on a magnetic board. I’ve come a long way.” He was not exaggerating; Luke's mother posted a video of him playing darts as a toddler on several different occasions.
