Can a football hero put an end to 500 years of racism

"Can a football hero put an end to 500 years of racism?" asked Renascenca, one of Portugal's major radio stations. Such was the way Quaresma and his roots were embraced by fans that, before the final against France, national newspaper Diario de Noticias came up with an article stating that "our gypsy is better than theirs". It was a reference to rival striker Andre-Pierre Gignac, another footballer of Roma origin.