"I wanted to return' - Portuguese star claims Sporting hurt him

The former Portuguese international admitted that the 2003 transfer to Barça was too big a step for someone so young.

He tried returning to his boyhood club, but they closed the door on him, leading to his move to FC Porto as part of the deal that sent Deco to Catalonia.

In an interview on the 'Geração 80' podcast, via Abola, Ricardo Quaresma opened up about his career and admitted that, frustrated by his lack of playing time at Barcelona, he wanted to return to Sporting in the 2004/05 season.

"I don't regret anything I do, but I would do things differently now. I was very young. I arrived at Barcelona at 19, walking into a locker room with Xavi, Puyol, Luis Enrique, Ronaldinho... I could name the whole squad, it was incredible. I should have done the same as Iniesta, who was also emerging at the time.

"He knew how to wait for his moment, but when you reach that level so early, you think you're on par with these players. But I wasn't, and I made a mistake. I asked to leave; no one from Barcelona sent me away, but Joan Laporta (the president) didn't want me to return to Portugal. He wanted me to stay in Spain. I wanted to play more; I didn't want to be at Barcelona just to say I was there and barely play," Quaresma began.

"I was close to joining Valencia and Atlético Madrid, but I got it into my head that I wanted to go back home to Sporting. I wanted to return, and I was hurt by Sporting, which was my home, the only club I knew. I grew up there, but they closed the door on me. They wanted to sign other players, and I was left behind," he said, concluding with praise for FC Porto.

"Later, I realized that FC Porto is different. Many Sporting fans are hurt by this, but the truth is that it was Sporting who didn't want me. I wanted to return; I didn't mind lowering my salary, and Sporting knew that, but they made a different decision. It later turned out that going to FC Porto was the best choice I could have made."

Meanwhile, Deco has tipped Portugal to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup and has named Jose Mourinho as the best coach.