It was interesting when Luis Figo announced his candidacy to run for FIFA president before withdrawing right before the elections. At first, the idea that this guy wanting to run for FIFA president seemed absurd. Then it hit me; he seemed perfect for the role of FIFA president. His career has been full of lies and shady deals in his pursuit of wealth and happiness. Without a doubt, Figo had the current qualities to be the next FIFA president.
Utter the name Luis Figo to Barça fans and their face will be full of anger and disgust in a nanosecond. His status from king to traitor still causes resentment from the Blaugrana faithful. My reaction whenever I look back at his betrayal is that of disappointment. Life is too short to be angry at a player forever. I still get some raised eyebrows from other Barça fans when I consider Figo’s performance for the Blaugrana as legendary. However, he will never be officially recognized by the club or fans, including myself, as a legend.
There is no denying that Figo was an extraordinary player for Barça. He appeared in 249 matches for Barça in all competitions and scored 45 goals while winning two league titles, two Copa del Reys, the UEFA Super Cup, and the defunct UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup. He plied his craft as a right-sided midfielder who was strong, quick and possessed amazing accuracy with his crosses. Defenders feared his dangerous runs while goalkeepers feared his powerful shots. Already a star in Spain, his performance for Portugal during Euro 2000 made him a worldwide star. A few months later, he would win the Ballon d’Or… as a Real Madrid player.
For many of us Barça fans, we were looking forward to the 2000-2001 season. We were finally going to see the end of the era of Josep Lluís Núñez as Barça president that had spanned over two decades thanks to elections. Barça finished second in the league standings, while Real Madrid finished fifth. Barça reached the UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals before getting eliminated by Valencia, who would lose in the final to Real Madrid. They also reached the Semi-Finals of the Copa del Rey before being eliminated, or disqualified, for failure to appear for the second leg against Atlético Madrid. At the time, FIFA friendlies were taking place but RFEF still insisted that these matches go on even though Barça were depleted of their players who were away playing for their countries. Furthermore, the rule that only three youth players could be called up meant Barça could not make up the difference with additional youth players, and were ousted. With a new president, a new manager to replace van Gaal, and with the likes of Rivaldo, Figo, Kluivert, Luis Enrique and other superb players, there were high hopes that the club was heading in the right direction. Then it happened!
Out of nowhere, Barça fans were caught by surprise of talk that Figo could leave the club. During June 2000, there were rumors of
Lazio trying to sign Figo. Lazio were going to pay Barça £32 million, and also offered Argentine international Juan Sebastian Veron in return as part of the deal. Thankfully that deal never went down, however, we were sucker punched when we heard that Figo could be going to Real Madrid during that summer. Real Madrid were also holding presidential elections and one candidate, Florentino Perez, promised the fans Luis Figo if he was elected. At first, we thought this was a joke and laughed it off. The laughter though slowly morphed into a nervous chuckle and little did we know that we would later witness Figo’s fine performance as a liar.
In the initial stages of this saga, Figo
insisted he wanted to stay at the Camp Nou. He stated, “I have said it and I repeat it – my desire is to remain in Barcelona where I feel well, where my family is happy. These are important elements for me.” We believed him. Even Joan Gaspart, who would go on to win the Barcelona presidential elections, remarked, “No way are we going to let him leave Barcelona.” The guy was our captain. Perhaps we should have realized we were being fooled when he
referred to himself in the third person. “Luis Figo hasn’t signed a contract with anyone, not with Florentino Perez, nor with Lazio,” said Figo before stating, “I have made an irrevocable decision: I will not be a Real Madrid player whoever wins the elections.”
Of course, we know what happened next. Both Perez and Gaspart won their respective elections and Figo joined the arch enemy after finalizing a £37.5 million transfer to Real Madrid. Figo got what he wanted and in the process
blamed the club for his departure. Somehow, it was Barça’s fault that he left and said, ‘They (Barca officials) did not want a dialogue. They thought only of the club and I thought only of myself”. Fans were furious that their beloved captain lied to them and joined the arch enemy. The animosity was so bad that the club even offered fans a free service of
removing Luis Figo’s name from any Barça shirt that they owned.
The rest, as they say, is history. Figo became one of the most hated rival players in history and on one occasion, was greeted with a pig’s head at the Camp Nou. His act of betrayal would be one that would endure over the years and was very unlikely to wane with time. It was not that difficult for the animosity to linger because we kept hearing different stories, excuses, or lies from Figo in the aftermath that all but verified that our disgust with Figo was justified.
Figo’s act of betrayal and his subsequent lies are what made him a proper candidate for the FIFA presidency. The 2000 October issue of BBC Match of the Day Magazine * described this saga in detail. Just 10 days before signing with Real Madrid, Figo posed in a Barça shirt and said “I make a pledge to all the Barcelona fans who have taken me to their hearts over the last five years. I will never betray them and join Real Madrid.” That article also referred to Figo as “the captain and king of the city” which was true and which made his betrayal even more difficult to stomach. We hate him so much because we loved him so much.
The article also explained that Figo’s contract with Barça contained a £37.5 Million buyout clause specifically for Spanish clubs and £75 million for foreign clubs. However, it was Figo, and not Real Madrid, who paid the buyout clause to Barça, after Real Madrid handed him the money. Thus, money was never exchanged between Real Madrid and Barça; Figo merely bought his way out. This, from a man who made a pledge to Barça fans that he would never join Madrid.
The same article also mentioned Figo’s greed. During that same summer, he had demanded a pay raise from Barça; just 12 months after signing a new deal that saw him earn £70,000 in weekly wages which was double of what he was previously earning. Also, when it came to shadiness, Figo was one of the best. Just five years prior to this saga, Figo somehow had signed two separate contracts with Parma and Juventus, which saw him join the Blaugrana instead, after he was barred from going to any Italian clubs.
A year after his move to the arch enemy, the defunct Champions League magazine †, not to be confused with the UEFA Champions Matchday magazine, interviewed Figo about his transfer. Here is what he had to say.
Speaking of circumstances, which ones made you leave Barcelona, where you were a hero?
I felt they weren’t giving me the treatment I deserved. I was always honest with the club. I received several offers from foreign teams and I informed the front office. I wanted the club to appreciate me more, according to my performances. I considered that if any club was willing to pay a lot of money for me and offer a much better contract. Barça should improve my contractual terms correspondingly. I spoke several times with then president Josep Luis Nunez to explain my situation. But he only said he couldn’t do anything because he had called elections and he wouldn’t stand.
Were you expecting Florentino Perez to beat Lorenzo Sanz, the president of the team that had won two Champions League titles in the last three years, in the election?
I don’t think anybody expected it. It was a possibility, but a very remote one. But I was determined to leave Barcelona. If Florentino Perez had not won the election, I would have gone to Italy.
“But I was determined to leave Barcelona. If Florentino Perez had not won the election, I would have gone to Italy.” There you have it. Straight from the horse’s mouth that Figo was planning on leaving the club even though he pledged he was staying. What is even more pitiful from Figo was him blaming the club for not giving in to his greed and giving him a new deal, after the team went trophyless, and when elections were called.
In 2009, Figo was interviewed by
FourFourTwo ‡ and the topic of his transfer and his signing with both Juventus and Parma were brought up. Yet again, the makings of a greedy corrupt individual who would be suited for the FIFA throne were on display. Here is what he had to say.
Much has been written about your transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Can you tell us exactly what happened? Is it true you never wanted to leave?
I thought that Barcelona were not treating me properly by not paying me according to my importance at the club. The chance of joining Real Madrid came up but the directors of Barcelona assumed I was bluffing them. I believe they later used the fact that I was leaving to show they had financial problems. In the end, when I already had a deal with Real Madrid, it’s true they agreed to give me what I was asking for and there was a chance for me to stay. But it was too late and I ended up going to Real Madrid to avoid problems for my agent, who had a commitment with them.
What happened between you, Juventus and Parma in 1995? Did you really sign for both clubs?
My contract with Sporting was about to expire and the club hadn’t done anything to sign a new one, at least not when I thought they should have. They reached a deal with Juventus to transfer me, but I was angry when I found out about it and I signed a contract with Parma’s president, Pastorello. It was the only proper contract I really signed – what I’d signed with Juve wasn’t supposed to be a valid contract. But Luciano Moggi, whose influence in football I understand a bit more these days, managed to ban me from playing in Italy for two years. Maybe it was my lucky moment, because in the end I went to Barcelona.
“[T]hey agreed to give me what I was asking for and there was a chance for me to stay. But it was too late and I ended up going to Real Madrid to avoid problems for my agent, who had a commitment with them.” Same question, yet a different answer. Figo previously admitted that he was determined to leave, yet, he said in this interview that there was a chance for him to stay but had to leave because he felt sad for his agent. Figo’s lies were always amusing and his lame response to signing contracts with both Juventus and Parma exemplified the type of person suited for a position with FIFA.
Just
last year, Figo was asked again about his transfer. Again, he said that he left because the club did not appreciate him. However, he just said in 2009 that the club gave him what he asked for but left to avoid problems for his agent. The lying never stopped and it seems it will never stop with Figo. So it was somewhat surprising to see
Figo withdraw from last week’s FIFA Presidential Elections. After all, he had all the attributes of a lying greedy corrupt person. Nevertheless, it was ironic when Figo called out FIFA when he said, “FIFA’s reputation as an obscure organization that is so often viewed as a place of corruption.” That is mighty rich from one of the most disloyal corrupt players the game has ever seen.
Fortunately, Sepp Blatter’s new term as FIFA President, after winning last week’s elections, lasted a mere four days before stepping down this week. Hopefully the next FIFA president will be an honest individual who will clean FIFA up for good and not possess the characteristics of a lying shady greedy individual such as Sepp Blatter and Luis Figo. One can only hope.
@IBES16
* BBC Match of the Day Magazine, October 2000 issue, The $60 Million Man. Page 50 – 54
† Champions League magazine, March 2001 issue, Luis Figo interview, The Best is Yet to Come. Page 10-15.
‡ Interview: Sergio Krithinas. From the March 2009 issue of FourFourTwo.
