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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 Figo for his transfer to Real Madrid thus far.
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.
Despite being respected by many for his contribution to the game, his move from FC Barcelona to Real Madrid in 2000 sent shockwaves throughout the football universe and also made him the target of hatred from fans at the Camp Nou.
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 faced constant criticism and booing from everyone associated with the Catalan club whenever he played in an El Clasico, following his move to Real Madrid.
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.
Before joining the Spanish giants, Figo was set for a move to Italy as he signed contracts with both Juventus and Parma. A dispute between the two Italian clubs meant that the Portuguese midfielder would get a two-year transfer ban in Italy, following which he joined Barcelona and soon became the first name on every fan's lips and on the back of their jerseys as well.
In his time at Catalonia, spanning 5 seasons, the midfield maestro made 172 appearances and scored on 30 occasions. 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. He also won the Copa Del Rey and the La Liga title on two occasions during his time there and was a loved figure at Camp Nou, even more than their own homegrown talent and captain of the side at the time Pep Guardiola.
Controversy surrounding his move to Bernabeu
Already having established himself as the go-to player at Barcelona and one of the best players in the world, it wasn’t long before then presidential candidate Perez set his eyes on the prize. 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 of fans in Catalonia.
At the time of this tug-of-war between the two Spanish Giants – Barcelona and Real Madrid – for the possession of Luis Figo, President-elect Perez had famously stated that he’ll ensure that the Los Blancos sign the Portuguese international, or else he’ll refund all of the club’s 70,000 season ticket holders.
The Galacticos era had truly begun following the record transfer fee paid for the midfielder who was showcased as the new number 10, but the fans at Camp Nou were still in shock as they couldn’t fathom out why their favourite player would leave the club and that too to their sworn rivals Madrid.
To top it all, Figo also won the Ballon D’Or in 2000 as a Real Madrid player, with his performance while playing for Barcelona in the previous year being the reason for the award.
First El Clasico after Madrid move
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’. Many banners were also held up by the fans, one of which read ‘We hate you because we love you so’.
During the match, cigarette butts, half-bricks, mobile phones, coins and a bicycle chain were thrown at him. On the contrary, his former team-mates at Barca showed great camaraderie with him after the final whistle they ran to Figo for an embrace even though he a traitor to the fans and a similar image was being painted by the media too.
The away team lost 2-0 as the chants had made Figo distraught and unfocused to a point where he was seen closing his ears to shut out the hateful chants during the game and also holding his ears as an apology to the fans at Camp Nou.
Pig’s head welcome on his next visit
His next visit to Catalonia in 2002 was far worse than the previous one. While taking a corner kick during the match at the Camp Nou, Figo had a pig’s head thrown at him, which truly showcased the fans bitterness at what they deemed was a ‘treacherous’ move to Real Madrid.
The atmosphere at the stadium was such that the game had to be suspended in between for 20 minutes, as it was reported that knives were being thrown at Figo while he was taking corners.
Figo is still drawing threats and hatred from the club as well as the fans at Barcelona as most recently, he was taken off during the legends match in June 2015 which was being played as a precursor to the 2015 Champions League final of the Barcelona vs Juventus. In the recent years, Figo has turned his back on the club administration and his then-boss Louis Van Gaal and criticised him for showing a lack of admiration when he coached him.
Although loyalty is a rare commodity in the world of sports, where deep pockets are always reserved for talents like Figo, yet a fan’s scorn is something that stays for life and the midfielder, who was once the hero, was thrown off that pedestal and subjected to the fury of many heart-broken Barca supporters.
As they say in football, ‘Hell hath no fury like a fan scorned’.
