Ricardo Andrade Quaresma BernardoComM (Portuguese pronunciation:[ʁiˈkaɾðukwɐˈɾɛʒmɐ]; born 26 September 1983) is a Portuguese former professionalfootballer who played as awinger.
On 1 September 2008, Quaresma signed for Italian championsInter Milan in a cash/player exchange fee of €18.6 million, with youngsterPelé joining Porto.[17] He scored in his firstSerie A match againstCatania, with one of his trademarktrivelas in a 2–1 home win.[18] However, he found opportunities in the starting XI limited, as coachJosé Mourinho stated:
"He is a great talent, but the joy I have at seeing the wayIbra works for and with the team I do not yet have with Quaresma. He will have to learn, otherwise he won't play, and I am sure he'll change and become more tactically disciplined. He likes kicking the ball with the outside of his foot, but if you ask me about him in a few months' time, we'll be talking about a different Quaresma."[19][20]
At the end ofthe season, Quaresma was given theBidone d'oro award for the worst footballer in the Italian top division.[21] On 2 February 2009,transfer deadline day, he signed on loan forPremier League clubChelsea until 30 June,[11] making his first appearance five days later in a 0–0 home draw withHull City.[22] On 7 March, he providedthe cross forAlex to score againstCoventry City in thesixth round of theFA Cup.[23] After a disappointing start at theSan Siro, he said his move had restored his confidence, and he further stated "When I was at Inter, I wasn't feeling very confident. I wasn't playing well and wasn't happy, I already feel more confident here at Chelsea. It has brought the joy back for me, which I didn't have at Inter."[24]
Having returned to Inter[25] despite attempts made by the club to offload him,[26] Quaresma inherited the number 7 shirt following the retirement of his compatriotLuís Figo.[27] However, after the arrival ofGoran Pandev he did not feature much in Mourinho's plans as the team went on to winthe treble, making 11 appearances in the league without scoring.[28][29]
On 25 April 2011, Quaresma and teammateNihat Kahveci had a spat on the pitch – the latter was upset at the former for failing to pass the ball, but the altercation was eventually broken up by teammates.[34] Following the 3–1 defeat toAtlético Madrid in the first leg of theEuropa League's round of 16 the following 8 March, he had an altercation withCarlos Carvalhal in the dressing room at half-time after the manager replaced him withİsmail Köybaşı, reportedly beginning to throw water bottles before saying, "I brought you here, you just think of yourself. If I was not here, [Carvalhal] would not be here. You can not remove me from the match because you're nothing." He was suspended indefinitely by the club following the incident,[35] and released on 20 December six months before his contract was due to expire, being paid the remaining €1.48 million.[36]
Quaresma returned to Porto on 1 January 2014, where over 10,000 fans greeted him in training.[41] He scored in his first European match of his second spell againstEintracht Frankfurt in theEuropa League's round of 32 on 20 February (2–2 home draw),[42] and then set up a goal and scored in a 2–2 draw withNapoli at theStadio San Paolo.[43] In the quarter-finals of the same competition, he scored a consolation goal in the 4–1 away loss toSevilla.[44]
Quaresma returned to Beşiktaş in July 2015, being greeted by a crowd of thousands atIstanbul Atatürk Airport. He stated his aim was to win the league with the team,[46] which was eventually achieved[47] and retainedthe following season.[48]
On 26 February 2018, Quaresma scored a trademarktrivela goal againstFenerbahçe in theIstanbul derby when he bent the ball aroundMauricio Isla into the top corner of the net with the outside of his right foot, the first of his two goals in a 3–1 win.[49]
On 7 September 2020, Quaresma agreed to a two-year deal withVitória de Guimarães.[52] He scored four times in hisfirst year, adding six assists in a seventh-place finish.[53][54]
Quaresma (left) challengingMarcos Rojo ofArgentina in a friendly on 9 February 2011
In February 2007, Quaresma appeared in a friendly againstBrazil at theEmirates Stadium, providing an assist in the 2–0 win and being named man of the match.[63] On 24 March, he scored his first goal for the national team in their 4–0 defeat ofBelgium in theUEFA Euro 2008qualifiers, held in his home town.[64] Picked for the finals in Austria and Switzerland, he replacedSimão Sabrosa for the last ten minutes of the second group match against theCzech Republic, scoring in stoppage time to contribute to a 3–1 win.[65] He started the next match, a 0–2 loss to hostsSwitzerland, when nine of the 11 regular starters were rested.[66]
In August 2010, after nearly two years of absence, Quaresma was called up for twoEuro 2012 qualifiers againstCyprus andNorway to be held the next month, replacing the injuredCristiano Ronaldo.[67] He played the full 90 minutes in the first match, a 4–4 home draw.[68]After failing to receive any playing time at theEuro 2012 tournament, and being involved in a training incident with teammateMiguel Lopes,[69] Quaresma was named in Portugal's provisional 30-man squad for the2014 World Cup, but did not make the final cut.[70] CoachPaulo Bento said regarding the matter, "I have to accept that people will question my decisions.Nani has difference [sic] characteristics to Quaresma."[70]
Quaresma scored a penalty, his first international goal in over six years, in a friendly withFrance on 11 October 2014, but in a 2–1 loss.[71] He was then picked forEuro 2016, where he scored the match's only goal – in the 117th minute – in a last-16 win overCroatia.[72] Five days later, in the quarter-final againstPoland, he scored the winning spot-kick in a penalty shootout following a 1–1 draw afterextra time.[73] Inthe final against hostsFrance on 10 July, he came off the bench for Ronaldo, who was forced off in the opening 25 minutes due to injury; the match ended in a 1–0 extra-time victory to Portugal, which saw the country win its first ever international title.[74]
Quaresma was chosen for the2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. He scored the opening goal of Portugal's 2–2 draw withMexico in the group stage,[75] and helped his team to an eventual third-place finish.[76]
Fifteen years after his firstcap, Quaresma was selected for a World Cup squad for the first time, the2018 tournament which also took place in Russia.[77] In Portugal's third group match, againstIran, he scored a goal-of-the-tournament contender, playing aone-two withAdrien Silva on the right side of the field before striking the ball with the outside of his right foot—a trademarktrivela—into the top left corner of the goal in a 1–1 draw that took his team into the last 16.[78][79]
Once described as "a mercurial, enigmatic talent",[80] Quaresma was known for his flair and was popular for incorporating a repertoire of tricks into his style of play, including therabona andtrivela, the latter a bending shot with the outside of his right foot.[81] A winger who could play on either flank, hiscrossing ability, creativity,dribbling skills, technique and poise on the ball, combined with his qualities of speed and finesse caused a regular problem for opposing defences, and also allowed him to create space for his teammates.[4][11][82][83][84]
Although he was regarded in the media as a highly promising player in his youth,[85] his career was marked by inconsistency;[86] moreover, his work-rate, mentality, tactical discipline and attitude were often brought into question by his managers and the media.[19][20][62][87][88][89] He was also accused by certain pundits of being selfish, due to his individualistic playing style and tendency to hold on to possession excessively.[90][91][92]
In 2017, Marco Monteiro ofFIFA.com described Quaresma as "insanely talented and equally temperamental."[93] He was able to improve upon this weakness as his career progressed, with the BBC noting ahead of the 2014 World Cup that "his workrate has been exemplary since returning home,"[62] whileJonathan Liew ofThe Daily Telegraph commented during Euro 2016: "So it is that a player whose career was widely believed to be over now has the whole country in his hands. The veteran Quaresma is a more mature player these days, creative but reliable, unpredictable but disciplined, a man who will never undo the past but is at least showing signs of learning."[4]
Quaresma is of partialRomani descent,[59] earning him the nickname "O Cigano" ("TheGypsy").[95] Speaking of an alleged racial slur towards him by an opponent in 2014, he said, "When I hear people say there is no racism nowadays it makes me laugh. When something happens in Portugal it's always fault of gypsies,blacks,immigrants. It's tough to live with this."[95] In May 2020, he spoke out against theanti-Romani rhetoric of the politicianAndré Ventura.[96]
Quaresma was erroneously quoted by media outlets as being the great-nephew of former Portugal internationalsAlfredo Quaresma andArtur Quaresma[97][98] but later denied this, nonetheless citing them as "an inspiration".[99] He was a distant cousin of fellow footballerEduardo Quaresma.[100]
Quaresma is known for his tattoos. In 2016, he hadtwo teardrops inked onto his face.[101] Later that year, he hadPsalm 91:4 tattooed on the back of his head.[102]
Quaresma had two sons with his partner, and a daughter from a previous relationship.[103] A convert toCatholicism, he wasbaptised in July 2016 together with his sons in Pêro Pinheiro,Sintra,[103] with teammatesEliseu andCarlos Martins being present at the event.[104]
^"Facto relevante" [Relevant fact](PDF) (in Portuguese). FC Porto. 6 July 2004. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 5 December 2010. Retrieved17 April 2009.
^"CNID entrega prémios anuais" [CNID delivers annual awards].Record (in Portuguese). 16 May 2006. Archived fromthe original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved30 December 2023.
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