Quaresma coming a cropper strains Inter relations
Ricardo Quaresma slipped in to Milan under the radar at the tail-end of the August transfer window and slipped out again in January with barely anyone noticing.
While the only footage covering his move to England was either the Inter dud strolling on as substitute and being substituted in between blasting a volley over the bar.
The Portuguese has been the Robbie Keane of Serie A - it would have been so fitting had he joined Spurs, but his failure to impress in Italy has been another strain on Jose MourinhoâÂÂs relationship with Massimo Moratti.
Quaresma flops on a rare outing for Inter
The owner was never that convinced by the perma-tanned winger, but being in the first throes of love with his new coach he couldnâÂÂt deny him his wishes.
A flutter of those puppy eyes was enough to make the old fellaâÂÂs heart skip a beat and dislodge something in the region of 20million euro from his wallet.
Ill fortune and Quaresma seem to go hand-in-hand, he even made 13 appearances before slinking off on the well-worn route to the Premier League for Inter âÂÂfailuresâÂÂ.
Who knows, maybe he will do a Dennis Bergkamp, but in the meantime Moratti and Mourinho have been left to pick up the pieces.
ItâÂÂs not the first time the pair have been down this road with different partners, but back in those heady days of late summer it all seemed like a match made in heaven.
It hasnâÂÂt taken too long for the newlywed bliss to lose its sheen. Those sunny honeymoon photos have been thrown into the back of the draw and itâÂÂs all been slightly frosty of late in the Inter household.
Max hasnâÂÂt been hanging around the training ground as much, and people are beginning to talk. The coupleâÂÂs teenager Mario Balotelli has even been seen in tears, although that could be down to the fact that he couldnâÂÂt get the top up on his sports car when it started to rain.
Doors are being slammed all over the house as Jose gets the blame for losing at Atalanta, and a few snide remarks after failing to put Torino in their place. And of course, the kids suffer; Maxwell and Cristian Chivu were even banned from going outside to play for a week.
Like a celebrity couple who feel they need to reassure the world that all is sweetness and light, Moratti has been pouring his heart out to La Gazzetta dello Sport in country and western fashion no less.
âÂÂI am standing by Mourinho,â ran the headline in WednesdayâÂÂs edition.
âÂÂI am more than convinced than ever in him and although it was costly to get rid of [Roberto the ex] Mancini I am sure Mourinho will get it right when we need it.âÂÂ
Moratti endures another Inter struggle
Of course, even a man of means such as Moratti does not want to pay for another divorce when heâÂÂs still doling alimony on the previous one so a break-up is not imminent.
However, the twinkle-eyed Silvio and his new hotty from the States are coming to dinner on ValentineâÂÂs weekend and then after that a craggy old Scot is in town.
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The couple will have to put on a united front for that visit.
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