Ricardo Quaresma

Ricardo Andrade Quaresma Bernardo born 26 September 1983 is a Portuguese footballer of Romani descent who currently plays as a winger for Turkish Süper Lig side Beşiktaş J.K and the Portuguese national team. Quaresma began his career at Sporting Clube de Portugal, and has also played for FC Barcelona, FC Porto, Internazionale, and Chelsea. He is popular for the football trick, the rabona, which is when the ball is kicked while the kicking leg is wrapped around the standing leg. This allowed him to cross the football when the ball was on the left side of his body, since he is a right footer.

Sporting CP

Whilst a trainee at Sporting's famed academy, Quaresma made his professional debut during the 2000–01 season, playing 15 games for the B squad. In the next season, he was promoted to the senior squad by then club manager László Bölöni, playing 28 matches and scoring three goals and was a key player in Sporting's league and cup double triumph.

2002–03 was a poor season for Sporting, finishing third in the league, which prompted speculation about Quaresma's future at the club.

Barcelona

Quaresma was then sold to FC Barcelona for a reported €6 million and loan of Fábio Rochemback. His stint with the Catalan side could be best described as unlucky. In his debut season, he made 10 starts and 11 substitute appearances, scoring only one goal. In the final weeks of the season, he injured his right foot badly, forcing him to miss the 2004 UEFA Under-21 Championship.

FC Porto

Quaresma signed for FC Porto in the summer of 2004 when they sold Deco for a fee of €15 million cash, plus Quaresma's playing rights, which were evaluated at the time at €6 million.
Quaresma started his campaign with Porto on a high note, scoring in his debut game in the 2004 UEFA Super Cup and netting the only goal in Porto's triumph against Benfica in the Portuguese SuperCup. 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 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. He also contributed to Porto's dramatic win against Once Caldas in the 2004 FIFA Intercontinental Cup, scoring in a thrilling penalty shoot-out which ended 8–7 in Porto's favour.
Quaresma was heavily criticised during his first year with Porto for being selfish and frequently trying to dribble past defenders rather than making a simple pass. He gradually began to incorporate his teammates into the game, however, and by his third year with Porto, he had become a fan favorite and a key component of the squad. His sublime performances in both the Primeira Liga and the Champions League drew interest from various clubs,and despite having a contract with Porto running until 2011, he soon found himself being transferred to a major club for the second time in his career.

Internazionale ( Inter Milan )

 

On 1 September 2008, Quaresma signed for Italian champions Internazionale on a cash/player exchange fee of €18.6 million with young Portuguese midfielder Pelé joining Porto. He played his first game for the club in a friendly against Locarno, playing on the left wing. The game ended 2–2, and Quaresma was voted man of the match following an impressive performance. He was decisive in his first Serie A match against Catania, with one of his trademark trivelas resulting in a Giuseppe Mascara own goal. The game finished 2–1 for Inter.

Quaresma, however, found opportunities in the Inter XI limited as former Inter boss José Mourinho stated:

"He is a great talent, but the joy I have at seeing the way Ibra [ Zlatan Ibrahimović ] 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."

Chelsea

Quaresma's omission from Inter's squad for the knockout stage of the 2008–09 Champions League led to speculation of him leaving the club. On 2 February 2009, transfer deadline day, he signed on loan for Premier League club Chelsea, until the end of the season. He was given the #18 shirt. On 7 February, he made his debut for Chelsea against Hull City. Quaresma was mostly used as a substitute, making noticeable contributions, including providing the cross for Alex to score against Coventry City. After a disappointing start to life at the San Siro, Quaresma claimed his move to Chelsea had restored his confidence after he struggled to impress José Mourinho at Inter. The 25-year-old Portuguese international told The Star on 29 March 2009, "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.

Beşiktaş

On 13 June 2010, Quaresma joined Beşiktaş J.K. in Turkey after long and arduous negotiations with Inter. Besiktas paid a €7.3 million for his transfer. He signed three-year contract, which entitled him to €3.5 million in the first season and €3.75 million in the next two seasons. He scored his first goal for the club against Viktoria Plzeň in the UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round.