Ricardo Quaresma

Ricardo Andrade Quaresma (born 26 September 1983, in Lisbon, Portugal) is a Portugal football (soccer) midfielder who currently plays for FC Porto in the BWINLIGA and the Portugal national football team.

Nicknamed Mustang (horse) by former Sporting Clube de Portugal coach Laszlo Bölöni, Quaresma is often compared to fellow Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo for the similarities both possess in terms of their speed and dribbling abilities, as well as their style of play. Quaresma plays as a Midfielder Winger, (despite naturally being a right winger) in Porto's 4-3-3 formation.

Club career

Sporting

While a trainee at Sporting's famed academy, he made his professional debut during the 2000-01 in Portuguese football playing 15 games for the B Team. The 2001-02 in Portuguese football, he was promoted to the senior squad by then club manager Laszlo Bölöni, playing 28 matches and scoring three goals and was a key player in Sporting's league and cup double triumph. Quaresma's made his league debut for Sporting against FC Porto.

During the 2002-03 in Portuguese football season he was Sporting's "lone star", coming second in total minutes played (2216), played in 31 matches, and scoring on five occasions. Sporting's poor results during the season were partially attributed to Bölöni, who rarely opted to play Cristiano Ronaldo and Quaresma at the same time.

Barcelona

Quaresma was sold to FC Barcelona for Euro6,000,000. His stint with the Catalan people side could be best described as luckless. He made his debut for Barça in a friendly against AC Milan, scoring his first goal for the club. In his La Liga - 2003/2004 at Barça, Quaresma made ten starts and eleven substitute appearances, scoring only one goal. In the final weeks of the season he injured his right foot badly, forcing him to miss both the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship and the UEFA Euro 2004.

During the Euro 2004, he announced his refusal to play for Barça as long as Frank Rijkaard was in charge, incurring the interest of many other clubs. However, it was Sporting's rivals FC Porto that had the ace up their sleeve: a transfer for Deco was being negotiated and Quaresma could be used as part of the transfer fee. At first uninterested in returning to Portugal, he changed his mind quickly and was subsequently signed by Porto for a fee of €6 million, with Deco going the other way.

Porto

He started his campaign with Porto on a high note, scoring in his debut in the 2004 UEFA Super Cup and netting the only goal in Porto's triumph against SL Benfica in the SuperCup Cândido de Oliveira. He went on to score five goals in 32 league matches, and was ever-present in Porto's run to the first knockout round of the UEFA Champions League 2004-05. He also contributed to Porto's dramatic win against Once Caldas in the Intercontinental Cup (football), scoring in a thrilling penalty shoot-out which ended 8-7 in Porto's favour.

Regarded as one of the best players in the Portuguese League, he managed to score five more goals. However Porto's title dreams in the 2004-05 in Portuguese football was derailed by the team's lack of cohesion, losing out to Benfica. Quaresma was however influential in Porto's 2005-06 in Portuguese football title success. He was the number one assist provider in that season, but was controversially omitted from Portugal's 2006 FIFA World Cup squad by Luiz Felipe Scolari. Quaresma has also often been criticized by the Portuguese media for his lack of defensive skills, seldom helping the team out in defensive duties.

Quaresma has been linked with a move to several high profile clubs including Chelsea F.C.,, Olympique Lyonnais, Bayern Munich, Atlético Madrid, Liverpool F.C., and Real Madrid. Quaresma however has already rejected a move to Munich, joking "In Germany, it always seems very cold!" Atletico have been very public in their desire to sign Quaresma, reported having bid Euro21 million. On 4 July 2007, the Portuguese press reported a €20.7m (£14m) bid from Liverpool had been turned down.

National team

A UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship winner with Portugal in 2000, he made his full international debut for the Portuguese national football team in June 2003, at a friendly against Bolivia national football team.

Poor form during his time with Barça and an injury prevented Quaresma from taking part in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, UEFA Euro 2004 and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. However, sparkling displays with Porto won him a role in Portugal's 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign and the winger helped his country to a vital 2-0 win against Slovakia national football team. However, Quaresma was left out of the 23-man squad named by coach Luiz Felipe Scolari to represent Portugal in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

He was later called up by Scolari to play in a friendly against Brazil national football team at the Emirates Stadium where Portugal won 2-0. Quaresma provided two assists and was named Man of the Match. On March 24 2007, Quaresma scored his first goal for the national team in Portugal's 4-0 win in a UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying Group A against Belgium national football team.

International goals

Honours

- International
- Clubs
- Individual