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This interview with former FC Porto and Sporting winger, the Portuguese international Ricardo Quaresma, was made by the journalist Nuno Raposo and appeared in the sports daily A Bola (29/09/15). On any copyright issues, please contact footballportugal.)

Thursday 01/10/15 will be a special day for Besiktas’ Portuguese international Ricardo Quaresma: the Turkish side play Sporting in the Europa League.

A Bola: This won’t be the first time, but does playing against Sporting still affect you? Is it a special game?

Ricardo Quaresma: It’s always good and it’s always special to play against Sporting. That’s where I grew up, and that’s where the doors of football opened up for me. As I’ve said a number of times, it’s a club I like and which I’ll respect for the rest of my life. Obviously it’s going to be a special game, but as a professional, I’m going to do my job and defend my club’s colours.

B: How do you think Sporting have been doing this season?

Q: I think they’re good, they have good players, a good team, a great coach, but you have to give it time. We’re all at the beginning of the season. So there’s still a lot to do. Now, I see Sporting evolving more and more and I think that it’s going to be a great game on Thursday.

B: Which players are the most feared, or the ones that deserve most attention? Has the coach talked about that?

Q: I think we have to pay attention to the whole team. Sporting have good players in all positions. So I’m not going to talk about one, two or three players. I think I have to talk about the whole, and as I said: I respect Sporting very much, but I’m going to defend my club and play to win.

B: You know our football well. How do you see this game going?

Q: I predict a game with a lot of fight, heart and teeth. And whoever has more chances can decide the game. I think there’ll be two teams giving all they’ve got. It’s important for Sporting to win because they lost their first game [1-3 to Lokomotiv], and it’s also important for us because we won our first game and if we beat Sporting it will be a big step forward.

B: Are Sporting stronger with Jorge Jesus?

Q: Yes. And as I was saying, the season has just begun and there’s still a lot to do, that’s normal … We have to give coaches time. He’s just joined Sporting, he has a squad that’s completely different from the one he had, so I think he has to be given time. But it’s not worth us talking about his quality because he’s a coach that has a lot.

B: There’s mutual empathy: he likes you a lot and you like him a lot. Would you like to be coached by Jorge Jesus one day?

Q: I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, life has a lot of twists and turns, but it’s true that he’s a coach I’ve always liked and admired, a coach that gets a lot out of players, but at the same time a coach that admires their quality and talent and gives them the confidence to play their football. At least that’s what he transmits to those on the outside. At this moment I’m fine where I am and I wish him all the luck in the world, except against us.

B: And can I ask what was said in that conversation with Jorge Jesus in that game between Benfica and FC Porto last season?

Q: You mean the hug?

B: Yes, the hug.

Q: It was a simple hug. A year before, in an FC Porto v Benfica that we won 1-0, the game ended and I went and gave him a hug and no one commented. That’s football – they always have to catch onto something, and they caught onto the hug.

B: If you score against Sporting, will you celebrate?

Q: I already have scored … but it all depends on the moment. But whether I celebrate or not, Sporting will always be a club I respect. I left there a long time ago, and you’ve never heard me speaking badly of Sporting, and you never will. I’m not the kind of person that spits on the plate I was given food on. So, it’s a club that I’ll always respect very much.

B: Have you talked to any Sporting players?

Q: No, actually I haven’t, I haven’t spoken to anyone yet. I saw that William came back against Boavista and I hope he’s fit because he’s a great plyer and Sporting need him.

B: Is this return of yours to Turkey going well?

Q: Yes, it’s going well. We’re still at the beginning, I started a little later, but everything’s ok. I’m also starting to feel a bit better fitness-wise, and I’m sure I’ll have a great season, along with the team.

B: You must feel good here because on Sunday, against Fenerbahçe, although you didn’t get off the bench, you could hear the name Quaresma being chanted all over the stadium …

Q: I feel great respect, great love and great affection for these fans, and that’s given me more motivation to play and defend this shirt. I feel at home here – no money, nothing, can buy that feeling. Here I’m playing happier, I’m playing to enjoy the football to the utmost, and to make these fans happy.