Portuguese veteran Ricardo Quaresma is still making headlines in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
The 38-year-old winger has created a cult following for himself through his expressive play style. He is the definition of a flair player and has a wand of a right foot to go with the skills.
Quaresma’s talent has taken him to the height of European football. He has played for Chelsea, Barcelona, and Inter Milan, winning silverware wherever he went. He was a member of Inter’s 2010 treble-winning squad, won three consecutive Portuguese titles with Porto, and secured an FA Cup with Chelsea.
On the international stage, Quaresma was part of Portugal’s victorious Euro 2016 squad. Utilised mainly as a super-sub, the winger still played an important role.
His winner against Croatia in the last 16 gave Portugal their first win in the tournament and sent them on the path to glory.
In the world of FIFA, Quaresma is also a favourite. His flashy playstyle makes him a dream for skill players in-game, and EA have given Quaresma some fun cards in the past.
Veteran FIFA players will be reminded of his insane Festival of Futball card from FIFA 18 or, more recently, his flashback card from FIFA 20.
Still going strong at 38, Quaresma has made headlines for a slightly odd reason this week.
Belenenses vs Vitoria Guimaraes
Portuguese league strugglers Belenenses hosted Quaresma’s Vitoria Guimaraes at the weekend. Currently sitting bottom of the Primeira Liga table, Belenenses were desperate for a result. Meanwhile, Vitoria hoped to keep up in the race for European football qualification.
The home side took the lead early into the second half. Striker Alisson Safira managed to put Belenenses 1-0 up.
In need of a goal, Vitoria Guimaraes turned to the veteran Quaresma to try and salvage a result in the final quarter of the game.
He definitely made an impact, but not in the way his side would have expected.
Ricardo Quaresma: impact sub
In a hilarious sequence of events, Ricardo Quaresma managed to get himself booked. A Belenenses player, trying to waste time to hold onto their lead, laid on the floor citing an injury.
Quaresma wasn’t having it.
The Portuguese veteran decided to move his opponent off the pitch himself. Quaresma scooped up the Belenenses player in his arms and tried to carry him to the sideline.
Unsurprisingly, the opposition took exception to this, so a tussle ensued. For Quaresma, his effort came at a cost. The referee didn’t see the funny side, booking the winger for his actions.
To make matters worse, Quaresma’s side also failed to find an equaliser, losing 1-0 to the bottom of the league hosts.
Still, the event was a humorous way for a cult hero to get himself back in the headlines.
Featured Image Credit: Getty