As Cristiano Ronaldo readies himself for another potentially career defining moment on the global football stage, spare a thought for the man who was meant to join him in the upper echelons of football’s tapestry. Emerging from the same prestigious Sporting Lisbon academy, Ricardo Quaresma was once seen as Luis Figo’s heir apparent. Instead he finds himself on what is likely to be one of the final legs of his footballing journey in the middle east with Al Ahli.
It’s a far cry from his beginnings in Portugal’s capital.
Promoted from Sporting’s B-team as a 17 year-old, much was expected of
him after a stellar first season in which he lead the club to a league
and cup double under the guidance of manager Laszlo Boloni. Arriving
right behind him was Ronaldo. As Carlos Quieroz once admitted, choosing
which dazzling winger to sign was a genuine dilemma, with one belief
unanimous; both would shine.
For a period, Quaresma did. His four years in Porto
brought two Portuguese player of the year awards, and a string of
highlights that vindicated the opinions formed during his days at
Sporting. An expert in the ‘Trivela’ technique, he often reveled in the
big stage the Champions League provided him. Yet just as there was a
peak, there were also notable troughs.
The summer that Ronaldo moved to Manchester United,
Quaresma was also sold to Barcelona. While the former ascended to
greatness under the tutelage of Sir Alex Ferguson, Quaresma had his
inconsistent performances and poor attitude called into question by
Frank Rjikaard. With his first team opportunities limited, the
disagreement crescendoed when he said he would never player for
Barcelona again under the tenure of Rjikaard, in what was seen as an
early example of his arrogance.
A career littered with contrasts, he enjoyed a far more fruitful relationship with Jesualdo Ferreira at Porto. “He’s a very particular player with unusual talents who is really enjoyable to watch,” Ferreira said of the man nicknamed ‘Harry Potter’.
“I’ve seen him become more of a team
player but I don’t want him to lose his personality and individuality
otherwise he’ll turn into an average player rather than playing like the
genius he is. To sum up he’s very special.”
More than just admiration, the experienced coach coddled his winger (arguably in the same way Ferguson did Ronaldo). Ferreira
noted that Quaresma was not defensively minded. Consequently he
absolved him from such duties, preferring to utilize his pace and tricks
on the counter attack to devastating affect. Jose Mourinho had no
desire to pamper a player he had invested over €18million in. Having
forced wingers like Arjen Robben and Damien Duff to work the entire
flank at Chelsea, Mourinho seemed unlikely to change tact, and he
didn’t.
Seeking balance from all his players, and noting the frailties of his
defensive game, Quaresma found the mentally taxing style of Serie A
difficult to adapt to. Marginalized to the role of impact sub, the once
joy inducing ‘Trivela’ was now being thrust upon every situation and
rarely providing the desired effect. Afforded a temporary stay at
Chelsea, even that was chaotic as Luiz Felipe Scolari (the organizer of
his loan) was sacked.
As Ronaldo collected the Ballon D’or in 2008, Quaresma was
awarded the Bidone D’oro (The Golden Trash Can), for being voted the
worst new arrival in Serie A. Just like at Barcelona, his playing time
was again restricted. In his second season he averaged 35 minutes a
match, the potential star now no more than a closing act despite being
only 27. Whether it was due to pity or frustration, Inter sold Quaresma
to Besiktas in 2010, taking an €11million hit in the process.
His time with the continent’s elite
seemed finished. Thriving with the ‘Kara Kartallar’ he notched eleven
goals in his first campaign. Yet like many a raging storm his was
preceded by calm. Substituted during the club’s Europa League tie
against Atlético Madrid,
his fiery temper denoted itself once more, with youth no longer an
applicable mitigation. Lambasting coach Carlos Carvalhal, even calling
him worthless, the club sided with their mercurial winger and Carvalhal
was dismissed.
In return, they hoped Quaresma would
agree to a lesser salary as they desperately tried to manage the club’s
wage bill. When he refused, president Fikret
Orman said he would not play for the club again. Serving as the tipping
point, his career in Turkey took a nosedive. Accused of urinating on the
club’s kit-man, and flashing a female member of staff, he vehemently
denied such claims and threatened to sue.
Rumored with a return home to Portugal, it was
mutually agreed before Christmas his deal would be paid up. More
diplomatic than in his younger days, he left graciously and quietly.
Less than a month later and his latest club, Al Ahli, was revealed with a
startling admission: “I don’t really know
anything about the club or the league,” Quaresma said, making it
difficult to look past financial gain as his motivation.
After a dismal debut that culminated in a booking for
insulting the referee, he scored his first goal for the club on Monday,
in a stadium with far fewer patrons than Ronaldo will play in front of
each week. Often perceived as a shy but jovial character, the beaming
smile that littered his Porto days is no longer prominent. At 29, he is
unlikely to ever return to the grandest stage, and just as his good
friend Ronaldo is proof of what success players can achieve, Quaresma is
a harsh reminder that football also has its failures.