 |
 |
 |
| Thursday, 09 December 2010 14:32 |
Ricardo sets sights on Portugal return as Betis nightmare nears endGoalkeeper reflects on foreign experience Former Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo says he expects to leave Spanish club Real Betis in January, and admits that his decision to leave Portugal did not work out as well as he had hoped.
Ricardo left Sporting in 2007 for his first experience abroad, joining Betis on a four-year contract in a deal worth around €3m. After establishing himself as the team’s first choice in his debut season, Ricardo lost his place during his second campaign in Spain and Betis were relegated to the Segunda Division. Things got worse for Ricardo after the team’s relegation, as he was reduced to back-up for the entire term as Betis failed to achieve an immediate return to the top flight in 2009/10. Ahead of the current season, the 34-year-old was not given a squad number and has been training with the lower ranks. Now, the struggles in Spain, which have cost Ricardo his international career with Portugal, appear close to an end. “At the moment, the situation is that I will be free to leave in January,” Ricardo told Maisfutbol. “We are about to put an end to an ordeal I have been suffering for over a year, but that has been worse over the last six months. In January, I will be a free player. My pain is about to be relieved. “The question I am asked most is if I regret the move to Spain. I can’t complain, because it was a choice I made. If you ask me if I would do it again, probably not. Maybe I should have renewed at Sporting, which was the desire of the leaders of the club who wanted me to end my career there. “It was a step I took. I don’t regret it, but it did go wrong. I arrived at the club when it was in a difficult situation institutionally. I very much want to go home now. There is interest from two foreign clubs, but they must be very serious projects, because my desire to live abroad has gone with this experience. “I had been in the Portuguese league for twelve years and had wanted to try new things. When you are abroad, you realise the good things about our country. It is very much a possibility that I will return to Portugal.” Follow PortuGOAL on Twitter and Facebook! |
I would pick Ricardo in big games despite this weakness to crosses. Victor B had his moments but he was not effective in 2000 and 2002. Look at the following objectively for the last 30 seconds Portugal - France. Victor B should have grabbed the rolling ball but did not resulting in the hand ball that sealed our fate against France.
This should not be forgotten when looking at the entire body of work (2000 and 2002).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RXzBkRXhm4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgYkXpHgq0U
He was Scolari's selection cause he was Emotionally strong to do the job , and Scolari fed his head well and made sure he was confident and as a result we saw him make some real outstanding heroics in Euro 2004. That was all on Emotion the Patriotism the Love for the fans.
Sure he is a skillfull golie , but ave at best , Baia was better , we all know that , but lacks the emotional strength that would give any player an edge over their competion. Hats off to Scolari for seeing this opportunity.
All Good Golies have six senses, they know how to make quick decisions , thats confidence , they can fly and are agile , that being physically sound, and they know how to read a players mind , that's experience .
As for Ricardo's fate , he is at the bottom of the barrel emotionally, and mentally and it is going to take alot of motivation to get him off of this funk that he is in.
He has to work hard and get back his confidence cause he has the experience and if he is healthy he can do it and be at the top again.
Lots of luck to Ricardo !! A True Warrior !!!
Such a horrible gk with such horrible prepotent attitude.
The penalties on Portugal - England some went to the clouds (remember Beckham that unbalanced moments before shooting) and others was simply badly beaten (Heskey penalty). Of course he had some merit but he wasn't the hero that everyone wanted to be.
And just not to mention the show that he made on relative easy defenses to look like a world class gk.
I do not defend Vitor Baia just because I'm a portista. In fact I would prefer Quim as first GK then Baia on Euro 04 and WC06. Baia was a really good GK, but not a world class GK like Van der Saar, Petr Cech, Buffon or Casillas. How could Scolari let off Baia on Euro 04, one of the captains and elected the best GK of 2003/2004 Champions League season?
That is simple, because Baia is homossexual (or bissexual) and Scolari overly catholic (and curiously Ricardo too)[attention, I've no problem against religious people neither people with different sexual behaviour].
Scolari knew that on the first call up and then we all know the history, Baia was never again called up. And no, there was no judicial problems between Baia and the Federation like some newspapers said. I guess that the problem between Baia and the Federation was how they let that sexual option is a factor in Scolari selection for the NT.
Like Raymond Domenech in France that didn't called up the players from scorpio sign (like Trezeguet in 2004... imagine if he coached Maradona in the 80's, he's also scorpio).
Do you want to know another better GK than Ricardo that deserved a call-up in 2004?
Hilário (awesome season in Nacional that qualified them to european competitions. Was hired by Mourinho to Chelsea on that summer)
Another one in 2006?
Eduardo (he made an excellent season on Setubal where HE won the league cup or portuguese cup, I do not remember. If he had appeared more earlier on NT, maybe the actual national gk wasn't playing on Genoa but on another club with much more dimension)
So, Ricardo don't tell bad things about Betis and Spain, you were following the money and now they realized that you are a flop that lead Betis to second division.
If you had been a humble person when you were up, maybe I would respect you much more. Like Alexandre Dumas said before, justice can be delayed, but always arrives (like it also arrived to Scolari).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yaFhjJtHA4&feature=related
I can only imagine how the Betis directors felt when they signed Ricardo and promptly saw themselves dumped to division two. I hear they tried to loan him out to the local InterMarche, he BBQ's a mean bird.
I'm not a Ricardo supporter by any stretch of the imagination, but are you seriously going to take away from what Ricardo did for the national team in those 2 major tournaments???
At the time I would have picked Quim over Ricardo, but the decision was taken and that's that. That being said, without Ricardo's performance there is no way we would have beaten England! Torpiano, ARE YOU NUTS?
When he was needed most Ricardo was clutch, and no one can refute that fact!
If we can go back in time I would be teh first to say Ricardo should not be starting, but Scolari chose who he chose and it worked out the way it did. Give the man the respect he deserves... HE WAS MORE THEN CLUTCH!!!
Regarding Baia... get real dude... do you remember what he looked like in Euro2000 and WC 2002... Thank god he was never selected again!!!
Furthermore, is Baia "tivesse vergonha" he wouldn't of cried to the papers as long as he did about not being selected. WHat a whiner!!!!
Euro2000 proved that Baia had become a "has been"!
The only reason he was selected for 2002 is cuz Oliveira owned part of his rights in Porto and they (Pinto Da Costa included) were hoping to make some more money by selling him away again.
I disagree Ricardo>Vitor Baia if your talking about as a whole in club and national. It was obvious that Baia had a club football resume that Ricardo wish he had but national team level I give the edge to Baia again. Ricardo might of been heroic at some of the games when it mattered but he was clumsy and terrible reading at dead-ball situations but it wasn't always his fault (defense weak in the air). Someone mentioned Euro 2000 honestly what could Baia do to benefit us? No blame towards him.
Ricardo if you want to revive your career then I think the Liga Sagres will welcome you with open arms.
We tend to focus on the negative but overall a national hero and the GK I would pick in the 2000's for Portugal.
I am not sure the overrated Victor Baia would have made those saves in 2004 and 2006. People forget Euro 2000 and the play that lead to the handball penalty kick that ended our run against France. Victor Baia a few seconds before the hand ball was not able to handle a ball that he failed to dive on and secure (watch the video).
Victor Baia in my opinion was a good GK but overrated. I would pick Ricardo over Victor Baia.
I say all of this to not debate but give Ricardo his proper due as a very good GK for Portugal. He had his flaws but overall a good body of work to give Portugal glory in 2004 and 2006.
An average goalie that will always live off his ability to save penalties, which admittedly was impressive.
He was awful in the air though, and doesn't Charisteas know it?
Vitor Baia should have been our no.1 at Euro 2004, especially after helping Porto to the Champions League only months earlier but Felipao let personal reasons cloud his judgement.
Baia could have been the difference between winning Euro 2004 and losing it. We were always going to beat England on penalties whoever was in goal.
One of the most overrated gk of history.