Figo Reveals Reasons He Left Barca To Real Madrid

Figo Reveals Reasons He Left Barca To Real Madrid

By Joshua Walters

Former Portuguese forward Luis Figo has lifted the lid on the reason he left Barcelona to their rivals Real Madrid in the year 2000.

Figo, who spent five seasons with the Catalans, left the club for a fee of €62 million with Madrid chairman Florentino Perez triggering the player’s buyout clause as the Bernabeu outfit gave birth to the Galactico.

The former Inter Milan winger became enemy number-one amongst the Barcelona faithfuls and was always treated with disdain anytime he visited the Camp Nou with Real Madrid for El Clasico games.

The switch was surrounded by controversies, and Figo has revealed what triggered the move 19 years after the world woke up to the news of what many football enthusiasts thought was impossible.

“I had five marvelous years at Barcelona, on the personal and sporting side. But during that time, in the summer of 2000, the candidate who was going to win the elections was Gaspart and I did not trust him even in the slightest,” revealed the player, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2000 while playing for Barcelona.

“Things were getting more serious and we reached a point where my agent had already reached an agreement with one of the candidates (Florentino Perez) of Real Madrid.”

“My representative signed that if I did not go to Madrid I would pay for Bernabeu season tickets for a whole year, but I had not signed anything.”

“It was his responsibility, because I had nothing signed, only in words.”

“At Barcelona they told me, bring the money and you can go. I did not know Florentino.

"I was on holiday in Sardinia and Florentino won the elections. My agent and my lawyer flew to Sardinia to convince me.”

"Afterward, we returned to Lisbon and there I met with Florentino for hours, and so then I called my wife to tell her I had decided to sign for Madrid."