Jerome Boateng

My favorite sneakers, growing up, were always the Air Force 1 and the Air Max line. I started collecting when I was 13 or 14 years old.

Of course every manager has a different mentality, different philosophy.

Over the years, you get better at timing because you've been through the situations thousands of times. The ball goes over your head; he passes you on the right, left. Eventually, you just know what you have to do.

It's absolutely fine to be a bit more reactive and not chase after the ball at times. But you cannot be passive.

My motivation is that I try to get myself to a certain point, and I want to win as much as I can in my career.

We can only stop Cristiano Ronaldo as a team. In front of goal, he's like a machine. You can't shut him out completely; he always gets his chances in a game because of the lines he runs and his excellent timing.

I wanted to set new goals, because if you say, 'Oh, I'm world champion,' you don't grow, and you don't keep your level.

When you fall down or slip in a situation, and somebody scores a goal, it's normal. These things happen. It happens to me; it happens to other players, I don't care about these things.

Messi simply cannot be stopped by yourself. Ronaldo is easier because he is more about athletic prowess.

It's difficult to leave FC Bayern. Everything has to fall in place to top this club if I do it.

Messi and Ronaldo are the toughest. But I would also place Eden Hazard of Chelsea, Neymar of Barcelona, and Karim Benzema of Real Madrid on the list.

Jay-Z is one of the biggest stars in the world and such an icon. He was so down to earth. It was like talking to a friend. I have huge respect for how he handles everything.