‘For me it goes on’: Ricardo Quaresma defends Cristiano Ronaldo’s succession to the national team

The football player Ricardo Quaresma, the Portuguese international for 80 times, defended Cristiano Ronaldo’s succession in Quinas today despite being 38 years old, also praising new coach Roberto Martinez.

“For me it goes on [a ter lugar na seleção nacional]But like I said, everyone has their own opinion. Everyone is free to think what they want and say what they want. Judging by the games I’ve seen, I think five goals in four games says a lot, but everyone has their own opinion,” defended the winger on the sidelines of the 2023 Ricardo Quaresma Scholarships, aimed at young people from Gaia aged from 12 to 14 years old, who combine school performance and sports merit.

Already off the scoreboard of the Portuguese team, in which he scored 10 goals and was an important part of the historic Euro 2016 conquest, Quaresma did not fail to turn to a future selection that he says is “full of great players”. and you have a “good coach” who expects you to do “great work”.

Without a club for a season, after leaving Vitória de Guimarães and now 39, “Mustang”, as he has been nicknamed, is adamant about his intentions to play another season, though he says he lived through “a year of sabbatical”. ‘, who took the opportunity to spend more time with his family, recalling the case of Porto defender Pepe.

“It depends on how you look at football. If I’m old, imagine, for example, Pepe, who is older than me and continues to play more than meets the eye. […] I trained alone, with people who can help me in the future. Now I can do things that are normal for many people, like taking the kids to school, being with them all the time. It makes me happy,” he said.

According to the player, his last season only depends on the choice of the project that best suits his goals, and is not “for sale” to play in the Saudi Arabian championship, despite respect for those for whom “money speaks louder”.

Quaresma also addressed the sporting situation at Porto, the club he represented and for which he became a fan, but did not promote the scenario of a return to the blue and white badge.

“FC Porto has already taught the blue and white players that when they lose a championship, they become champions next year. As a fan, I hope this happens. As a player I never talked about returning to Porto, I don’t know why people keep hitting that key […] Porto will always be with me whether I play there or not. I was not born blue and white, but I will die blue and white,” he said decisively.

At the club level, at the age of 39, the winger already has a long training program that has gone through Sporting CP, the club where he formed, Barcelona, ​​Porto, Inter Milan, Chelsea, Besiktas , “Al-Ahly”, “Kasimpasha”. and Vitoria de Guimarães.

Among many other trophies, Quaresma has Euro 2016, Champions League, Intercontinental Cup, four Portuguese leagues, two Portuguese Cups and three Candido de Oliveira Super Cups, as well as two Italian leagues, two Turkish leagues and an FA Cup.

The winger has been without a club since last season, but intends to return to action to spend his last season as a footballer.