Quaresma must prove his doubters wrong after second failure

Had Chelsea stole Ricardo Quaresma from Inter Milan’s grasp last summer, no one could have disputed the value of an €18.6m transfer fee. After all, the Portuguese has long been linked with Europe’s elite sides and it was anticipated that there would be a grand bidding war for a player who had flair, talent and confidence in abundance.

Yet Inter ran out clear winners for his signature, with little competition. The likes of Barcelona and Liverpool had made all the right noises but never cemented their interest with a firm bid. Only fellow countryman Jose Mourinho was willing to take the multi-million euro gamble on a player who had flopped during his first major break, a transfer to Barcelona when just 19 years of age.

Quaresma went back to Portugal after only one season in Spain. He was too young, too flashy and too peripheral to settle at Barcelona, eventually refusing to play under coach Frank Rijkaard after being handed only sporadic opportunities to prove his ability. But his reputation was rebuilt during four years at Porto and after fervent speculation last summer, Inter offered the then 24-year-old a chance to parade his innate capabilities in Serie A.

It has proved another false dawn, however.

Quaresma’s party tricks were not welcomed by the San Siro faithful, who jeered him in his last match before joining Chelsea. And Mourinho had little sympathy for the winger, “He needs to have the mental strength to overcome the criticisms and react in a positive way. The San Siro public are not an easy one but we’re professionals and we have to react to the whistles. When he was in Portugal he was the fans’ favourite whereas here it’s different and he has to earn their support.”

But Mourinho doesn’t have the sort of time necessary to mould Quaresma into a Serie A sensation. A tough title race is ongoing and the Champions League remains top priority for Inter. Quaresma was left out of Inter’s Champions League squad – and out of Mourinho’s plans for the rest of the season.

As the loan deal becomes increasingly popular amidst a poor economic outlook, it was nevertheless surprising to see Mourinho hand the capricious 25-year-old to continental rivals and former employers Chelsea. Mourinho has always stressed that he still loves the club despite an acrimonious departure, but should Chelsea make Quaresma’s move permanent and he goes on to become one of Europe’s leading lights, his act of generosity will not be well-received by the Inter support.

Chelsea have nothing to lose from the deal. Quaresma can hardly cause more trouble during an already turbulent time at Stamford Bridge. And if he manages to mature into more than a trickster (perhaps something to do with his gypsy roots), follow the Cristiano Ronaldo model of development, and is played in position by Luiz Felipe Scolari, there is no reason why Quaresma won’t have a flat Chelsea firing once again.

Goals have often been hard to come by, costing Chelsea vital points and leaving their title bid on the brink of failure. Quaresma, Scolari hopes, will add new impetus to a blunt attack and aid an unlikely turnaround in league fortunes.

Ineligible for the Champions League, possibly the only major competition Chelsea can win, Quaresma is likely to be associated with a failed league campaign. Thus, personal performances and integrating his talents within the rest of the team are most important in order to demonstrate that his raw attributes can be transformed into a finished article. An article ready for the strains of playing in the shirt of a club where pressure never ceases and the expectation levels are always rising.

At Porto, Quaresma was the king of the castle, allowed to roam free on the pitch as he pleased. He was the star as the club cantered to innumerable domestic trophies. Yet they have never managed to come close to repeating their 2004 Champions League success, a fact that is indicative of the vastly different objectives for a Portuguese club as opposed to one in Spain, Italy or England.

Having failed in two of the three top European leagues, Quaresma now has a final opportunity in west London to convince the footballing world that he is much more than an undeveloped and immature talent. He may still sport a face of youth, but Quaresma’s passport dictates that time is running thin and that it is imperative he takes this golden opportunity handed to him by Chelsea.