The Portuguese Liga is a Slutty Ho

By: Greg | July 3rd, 2007

hook No, really: the Liga is taking it for the right price from just about anyone at this point. I’m not saying it’s one of the seedy ladies walking around on HBO documentaries such as Hookers at the Point or Atlantic City Hookers: It Ain’t E-Z Being a Ho, but I’d still like to see that silky smooth narrator discuss the summer’s transfer moves as if the Liga teams are parading their talent on the streets for sale at a steep price. If you haven’t seen one of these shows, you’re truly missing out. I could just hear the guy now: “Sporting walks the transfer streets shakin’ her lovely treats. She sees Sir Alex across the way and knows that she’ll get millions of Euros if she gives up the Nani.”

The difference between the unfortunate ladies on the HBO specials and the teams of the Portuguese Liga is that the Sportings and the Portos of the world aren’t crippled by addiction or a lack of money. They can afford to keep these players. While I outlined in an earlier article the tenets the selling of young talent and how it can actually be beneficial to the league as a whole, I didn’t mean ALL of the talent.

This bit of frustration comes on the heels of news out of Spain that Atletico Madrid are tabling an offer of 20 million Euros to sign Porto winger Ricardo Quaresma. He’s tied with three others for EIGHTH in the Liga scoring with 17 other players above him. For a guy who, until very recently, wouldn’t play defense even if you hit him back with a cattle prod, six goals while hanging out up front and in the middle is not what he should have tallied.

Given Quaresma’s previous failures in Spain, as well as the prices Manchester United paid for Nani and Anderson, the bid is absolutely absurd. I understand that Barcelona boss Frank Rijkaard wanted him to play out of position in the back, but when he did see the green of the pitch, he underperformed. Quaresma seems a bit too self absorbed to play well in a league like la Primera where team fluidity and chemistry is paramount (Not to say it’s not important in most other leagues, but it is especially in Spain where the ball isn’t ‘pinballed’ around as it is a great deal in a place like the Premier League). I hope he proves me wrong because I actually like Quaresma but I have to call it how I see it.

There’s a load of talent still left and quite a bit of time until the transfer window closes, so it won’t surprise me if names like Pepe, Luisao (both reportedly wanted by Juve), and Simão (yeah, Liverpool probably still want him) sail to the forefront in the coming weeks. Can’t these teams keep SOME of these guys? Please!?