Quaresma was always a better player than Cristiano Ronaldo. He was the star, not Ronaldo.
The quote above is attributed to Aziz Makukula, a former Sporting academy player who was a teammate with both Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Quaresma. Those words aren't as strange as you may think. Quaresma and Ronaldo were fairly close despite Quaresma being a year and a half Cristiano's senior. Quaresma joined Sporting's first team before Cristiano.
Everyone saw Quaresma as a player more talented than Cristiano. Not only that, they saw him as more skilful, smarter, and physically better than Cristiano Ronaldo. He was also more popular among his teammates and the fans. Much like Ronaldo, he also had a tough upbringing, tougher than Cristiano's actually.
Ricardo Quaresma's Broken Life
Ricardo Quaresma was born in Lisbon to a Romani mother and an Indian father. Romani people are an ethnic group who are simply called "Gypsi" among other less nice nicknames. In fact, Romani are among the ethnic groups in Portugal who were blamed for all the problems happening in the country. That's what made Quaresma a victim of racism his entire life.
People's reactions to being racially abused vary between one person and another, Quaresma's reaction was an intense pride in his mother's Gipsy heritage as a reaction to society's hatred of that heritage. Such an upbringing made Qauresma a rebel in a way, against the rules, against the law, and against commitment. He was simply against anyone telling him what to do.
Ricardo was always a rebel. For breakfast, he'd ask for a steak with French fries and an Egg! It was unbelievable...
- Aurélio Pereira - Former Coach
Joining the First Team
Despite all the above, Quaresma was categorized as higher than Ronaldo. The pair were nicknamed "The New Figo" and Quaresma joined the first team at the age of 18. In his first season which saw Sporting win the Primeira Liga, he contributed 9 goals between scoring and assisting. He was the team's most notable star as they achieved the local double. His contribution increased the season after.
After the second season, the "New Figo" pair, Quaresma and Cristiano, left Sporting Lisbon with Cristiano leaving for Manchester United and Quaresma leaving for Barcelona. The difference between the two is that Quaresma's reputation was better than Cristiano's in Europe. He joined Barcelona in 2003 when a new team was being formed under the club's new president, Joan Laporta.
The new Barcelona team revolved around two people, Ronaldinho on the pitch, and Frank Rijkaard on the bench. Suddenly, the man who was the main star of his team, including Cristiano Ronaldo, found himself in a strange new situation at only 20 years old.
On paper, this was a great move. He signed a great contract with a huge wage. He also signed with Nike and appeared in the famous Nike - Ole Football Euro 2004 advert.
Outside the pitch, Quaresma was a star, but on the pitch, he was demanded to prove himself to players who are bigger stars than him. But, the most important is that he found himself lacking freedom.
Quaresma's main problem with Rijkaard is that the latter was trying to use Quaresma for the betterment of the team, get rid of his ego and individualism, and force him to do tasks that Quaresma didn't like doing. And surprisingly, the player who was nicknamed "Gipsy" acted the same way his Gipsy mother would act. After pointless fights with Rijkaard, Quaresma went public and said
At Sporting I was always given a free role and I was brought to Barca under the pretend that I would be allowed to play the same. I have not gotten the opportunity nor do I have the confidence of the manager.
Quaresma refused to play under Rijkaard, and there's an argument that can be made to say that he wasn't wrong. Not a strong argument, but an argument nonetheless. That, of course, wasn't the last time Quaresma would get into such a situation with a team's coach. Many reporters and followers noted that it is a great contrast that Quaresma's tough upbringing made him a rebel, while Cristiano's motivated him to become better all the time.
Porto
Barcelona wanted Mourinho's main man in Porto's treble, Deco, and they didn't see a point in keeping Quaresma, so a deal was made. Barcelona would pay Porto 15 million and Quaresma in exchange for Deco. Since this is Quaresma, you probably know the pattern already. A great period with one team is followed by a disastrous one with the next. So, his career with Porto was nothing short of great.
Quaresma's four seasons with Porto were a joy to watch. Under the guidance of Jesualdo Ferreira, the Portuguese managed to perform admirably. The reason behind such a performance is that Jesualdo Ferreira said it clearly that he doesn't want Quaresma to lose his personality and individualism as that would lead to Quaresma turning into a normal player instead of a genius.
During those four seasons, Quaresma managed to hone his talent and master a move that would forever be associated with him, "Trivela". You can't even search the term without seeing Quaresma all over the top pages of it.
As impressive as it is, Quaresma's magic wasn't just that move but the way it was utilized. The shot made Quaresma more than just a right-winger. Usually, right-footed right-wingers have limited options which made them predictable. In one-on-one situations, there are limited solutions for such players, it was either passing, overlapping with the full-back, dribbling past the player, or outrunning the defender and crossing.
Quaresema, as a right-winger, had another weapon at his disposal, cutting inside and shooting at the far corner from very tight and difficult places. It was either that or passing with the same style in what is called a lofty pass. The Trivela or the lofty pass wasn't the main event, but just a side effect of how resourceful and unpredictable Quaresma was.
After four seasons with Porto, Mourinho was starting his career at Inter and asked for Quaresma by name. Knowing the pattern, you must know now how that would go. But, how did that period end with Cristiano, the man who was inferior to Quaresma, winning the Ballon d'Or while Quaresma was winning the award for the worst player in Italy is what we will find out in the next part.
Sources
What the hell happened to Ricardo Quaresma? | Oh My Goal
Ricardo Quaresma: The Enigmatic Talent That Could Have Eclipsed CR7
RICARDO QUARESMA AND THE STORIED JOURNEY OF AN ENIGMATIC PRODIGY
The Story Of Ricardo Quaresma
From calling Paul Pogba a 'virus' to making Ricardo Quaresma cry, Jose Mourinho has a long history of falling out with players... and now Roma's stars are getting a taste after he blasted their 'psychological complex'
Bidone d'oro
A tribute to Ricardo Quaresma, the Trivela King
Ricardo Quaresma proves it's never too late for talent following the latest rebirth of Portugal's 'Lelito'