The transfer took place in July 2000 and Figo returned to Camp Nou three months later in October, only this time he was sporting a white jersey with the Real Madrid badge on it. As soon as Figo appeared on the pitch and in front of his 105,000 frenzied Catalonian fans, he was encircled with chants of ‘Die, Figo, die’ and ‘traitor’.
Full Answer
What happened to Luis Figo?
Luis Figo was unveiled at Real Madrid on July 24, 2000. He was the best player in the world, set to win the Ballon d'Or, and he had decided to move from Barcelona to their sworn enemy in Madrid. To Barca fans who loved him, he had betrayed their trust and broken their hearts.
Why is Figo still persona non grata?
But 15 years after he had moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid, Figo was still persona non grata. Prior to his departure in 2000 Figo, on course to pick up the Ballon d'Or - which he would eventually hold aloft in a white Real Madrid shirt instead of a Barcelona one - had seemed settled and committed at the Nou Camp.
When did Luis Figo join Real Madrid?
Luis Figo was unveiled at Real Madrid on July 24, 2000. He was the best player in the world, set to win the Ballon d'Or, and he had decided to move from Barcelona to their sworn enemy in Madrid.
Was Luis Figo's switch to Real Madrid a betrayal?
The Luis Figo switch from Barcelona to Real Madrid that took place 20 years ago this summer was the ultimate football betrayal. So loaded with symbolism, vitriol and rancour, it makes Sol Campbell going from Tottenham to Arsenal look like Morecambe and Wise joining ITV from the BBC in the late 1970s.
Did Figo want to go to Real Madrid?
As one of the richest men in the country, Perez knew he had to do something impossible to wrestle the presidency from Sanz. He wanted to do the unthinkable and bring the icon of Barcelona - the best player in the world - to the Spanish capital in an act that would prove Real Madrid were the biggest club on the planet.
What was thrown at Luis Figo?
Clarification: The pig head thrown at Luis Figo from the stands was actually thrown on the 23rd of November 2002, and not on his first return to the Camp Nou as a Madrid player on the 21st of October of 2000.
Did Luis Figo play for Barcelona and Real Madrid?
A Portuguese legend and former World and European Footballer of the Year, he played for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. Luis retired from football in May 2009 having played 127 times for Portugal. He was the most capped player in Portuguese history until passed by Cristiano Ronaldo in June 2016.
How much did Real Madrid pay for Figo?
Perez was not expected to win, but swept to power and Figo completed a sensational switch after he had signed a pre-contract agreement and Los Blancos paid his €62 million release clause to make him the first 'Galactico' signing.
What decade did Santiago Bernabeu open?
Santiago Bernabéu StadiumConstructionOpened14 December 1947Renovated1982, 2001, 2020–2022Expanded1952, 1992, 1994, 2011Construction cost288,342,653 Ptas (€1,732,943)18 more rows
Has Barcelona ever sold a player to Real Madrid?
Alfonso Albeniz was famously the first ever player to swap between the two clubs, when he moved from Barcelona to Real Madrid in 1902. As personal as a transferal of a player can turn out, it is only safe to say that it is just business.
Who is the best Real Madrid player?
"Di Stéfano is Real Madrid" The only player to have won the Super Ballon D'Or, Di Stéfano scored 308 goals in his 396 games for the Whites.
What happened between Barcelona and Real Madrid?
Real Madrid won the last Clasico against Barcelona at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, which was a 2-0 victory on March 1st, 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit Europe. The stadium is filling up with 30 minutes to go before the start of this El Clasico. The goalkeepers have just entered the field to warm up.
Why did Barcelona sell Figo?
CHAPTER VI: THE LEGACY Figo says he moved clubs to get better money and to win more titles. This he achieved. He won two league titles and a Champions League trophy with Real Madrid before leaving the club in 2005 for Inter Milan. Barcelona went into free fall after his departure.
Who owns Real Madrid?
That's because no one individual truly owns Real Madrid. Instead, the club is owned by its fans. The club's supporters, known as "Madridistas," are able to purchase an ownership stake in the club, a rare occurrence in club soccer's modern financial boom.
What did Luis Figo do to Barcelona?
In the second El Classico at Camp Nou, Figo, now dubbed 'Pigo' by the Barcelona faithful, hurled projectiles at the Portuguese player and booed every time he touched the ball. They also threw a pig's head at Figo to show what they thought of the perceived betrayal by the player they once worshipped.
Who brought Figo to Real Madrid?
The news that Sanz’s rival, Perez , was promising to bring Figo to Real Madrid disturbed the wedding celebrations. Perez had done his homework. He polled Real Madrid’s members and asked them which player they most wanted if they elected him president, per John Carlin's book White Angels. Their answer was Figo.
When did Figo leave Real Madrid?
The story that Figo might leave first broke on July 6, 2000. The daughter of Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, Malula, was marrying Madrid defender Michel Salgado that day. In 1998, Sanz had ended the club’s 32-year hex by winning the Champions League—the club's great obsession—and he’d added a second crown a few weeks earlier in Paris. He was a shoo-in for re-election.
Why did Perez use Figo?
Perez used Figo as a Trojan horse to get into Madrid's "White House." Once inside, his big plan was to cash in on the club’s marketing potential. The year before he took office, the club failed to sell out the Bernabeu for 17 of its 18 home league games. He immediately made sure to fill the seats in the stadium.
How much did Perez deposit in Figo?
Meanwhile, Perez deposited 10 billion pesetas ( £44 million), which was the value of Figo’s buyout clause and a world-record transfer fee, at the Spanish Football Federation. Then Perez waited for word to get out, per Relano's Nacidos Para Incordiarse.
What did a fan throw at Figo?
According to Salgado, one hooligan threw a knife at Figo as he went up to take a corner. As Figo went to take another corner, a fan threw a pig's head on the pitch. "Everybody remembers the match because of the pig’s head," says Yarza.
When was Luis Figo unveiled?
July 22, 2015. Comments. Comment Bubble Icon. Rory Martin. Luis Figo was unveiled at Real Madrid on July 24, 2000. He was the best player in the world, set to win the Ballon d'Or, and he had decided to move from Barcelona to their sworn enemy in Madrid. To Barca fans who loved him, he had betrayed their trust and broken their hearts.
What was Figo's ability to create goals?
Second, his ability to create goals: As soon as he got an inch, he was capable of putting through "a goal ball" —an assist.
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In this unpredictable climate, the campaign for Barca's presidency heated up, and would ultimately centre on the candidates' insistence that the Portugal star would not be allowed to leave. They had a plan.
Ramos v Neymar
Perez's pitch worked. The signing, greeted like an eighth European Cup, was fittingly celebrated in the trophy room at the Bernabeu.
Figo's return: Barcelona 2 Real Madrid 0 (October 21, 2000)
On the morning of the match, Alfredo Abian, deputy editor of the Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia, wrote an editorial titled, "Que Figo nos perdone". Translation: "Figo, forgive us."
When did Figo return to Camp Nou?
The transfer took place in July 2000 and Figo returned to Camp Nou three months later in October, only this time he was sporting a white jersey with the Real Madrid badge on it. As soon as Figo appeared on the pitch and in front of his 105,000 frenzied Catalonian fans, he was encircled with chants of ‘Die, Figo, die’ and ‘traitor’.
When did Luis Figo move to Real Madrid?
Portuguese legend Luis Figo moved from Barcelona to fierce rivals Real Madrid in 2000. Figo was one of the most accomplished midfielders of his time. With a Ballon D’Or to his name and a part of the Galacticos era at Real Madrid, though his transfer from Camp Nou to the Santiago Bernabeu sent shockwaves among the Barcelona fans who have hated Luis ...
How much did Ronaldo earn in his career?
His then-world record signing of £37 million earned him the titles of ‘Judas’, ‘Traitor’, and ‘Scum’ among many others from the fans and as a result even 15 years later in June 2015, he was not allowed to play in a legends match between World XI and a combined Barcelona and Juventus team. This didn’t come as a shock to the midfield legend as he has ...
Where did Figo move to?
A leader at his former club and the team’s driving force, Figo moved to Real Madrid in a big-money move which broke many a hearts and betrayed the trust ...
When did Alexis start his career?
He was the backbone of a formidable attack behind Patrick Kluivert and Rivaldo, beginning his career at the Camp Nou with a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1996-97.
Where did Figo play football?
Career at Camp Nou. Figo started his career at Sporting CP where he played professional football for six years before moving to Barcelona for a transfer fee of £2.25 million. It was at Camp Nou that the Portuguese international went on to become a legend and a revered name in the world of football as well as in Catalonia.
Who is Luis Figo?
One of the most accomplished midfielders of his time, Luis Figo is a Ballon D’Or winner and has won almost everything in the game. Throughout his 20-year-career, the Portuguese legend has wowed crowds with his brilliance on the pitch while playing for the likes of Sporting CP, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Internazionale.
Who did Luis Figo move to?
Luis Figo's transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid is one of the most contentious moves ever. After Alex Song admitted he joined Barcelona for the money,... Steve McManaman was Mr reliable at Real Madrid and remains... Ronaldo's parties were at the centre of the Galacticos' wild...
When did Figo leave Real Madrid?
Prior to his departure in 2000 Figo, on course to pick up the Ballon d'Or - which he would eventually hold aloft in a white Real Madrid shirt instead of a Barcelona one - had seemed settled and committed at the Nou Camp.
What is the symbol of the greatest betrayal in La Liga history?
The symbol of the greatest betrayal in La Liga's history will always be the head of a suckling pig tossed on to the pitch at the Nou Camp. It came a full two years after Figo signed, on November 23, 2002 – a clear sign that feelings had not cooled.
Did Figo go to Madrid?
Three days before the election Figo had repeated to Veiga that he did not want to go to Madrid. He had disappeared with his family to the island of Sardinia and pulled down the shutters. Three days later he was in Madrid, unable to pay the €35m to Perez, and therefore resigned to signing for Barcelona's great rivals.
Who were the players that played for Real Madrid in 2005?
Figo's arrival sparked the Galactico era at Real Madrid, which saw (from left) David Beckham, Figo, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Raul join forces in a superstar-studded dream team. Madrid won nothing and under Brazilian coach Wanderley Luxemburgo, he was dropped so often that he knew in 2005 it was time to move on.
Did Figo know what Veiga was negotiating?
It's still not clear whether Figo knew what Veiga was negotiating or not. As the Real Madrid election drew closer, and as Veiga confirmed there was an agreement with Perez in place, Figo denied having signed anything. Three times in interviews, he denied he was giving in to Perez's advances.
Who is the player that Madrid supporters would most like to sign?
In the run-up to the election, fan polls had suggested Figo was the player Madrid supporters would most like their club to sign. Figo was at the time in stalled negotiations with Barcelona over a new deal and he had a release clause of 10billion pesetas – around £37.5m.
How It All Began
The Deal with Luis Figo
- Florentino Pérez, the richest man in Spain approached Figo's agent with a deal which was too good to be turned down. Pérez offered £1.6 million to Figo just to sign a contract which stated that he would sign for Real Madrid if Pérez won the presidential elections and if he lost, Figo could keep the money. Luis Figo and his agent saw this as an easy...
Rumour Mills and Accusations
- When the deal went public, all hell broke loose. Luis Figo, thinking that he would not have to move, denied the whole thing and even stated that 'I am not mad to do something like that'. He claimed that Florentino Pérez was fabricating the story and assured Barcelona fans that he would remain at Camp Nou the following season. Lorenzo Sanz, just like others, dismissed this news as a publ…
Florentino Pérez's Victory
- Florentino Pérez, to everyone's surprise, won the club elections. Luis Figo's buyout clause was then set at a world record fee of £38 million but for this deal, it was a bargain. Barcelona had club elections of their own won by former director Juan Gaspart who was left with only one choice; to pay their most hated rivals the equivalent of fifth highest transfer fee at the time for their own pl…
Reaction
- Luis Figo was one of the very few players at Barcelona who was adored by fans in a way like very few have been. He was their best player and watching him depart to their biggest rivals Real Madrid angered the fans. The infamous pig head incident happened when Figo went to Camp Nou for the first time as a Real Madrid player. There are very few players who have seen the wrath of …