Luis Figo opens up on his transfer to Real Madrid: “I had everything in Barcelona”

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, former Barcelona and Real Madrid superstar Luis Figo spoke candidly about his transfer from the Catalans to Los Blancos in 2000.

Entering the peak of his career at the time, Figo’s €60 million move from Camp Nou to the Santiago Bernabeu generated a lot of controversy and sparked fury among the Barça supporters.

So much so that Figo had a pig’s head thrown at him during an El Clasico encounter by a Barcelona supporter.

Ahead of tomorrow’s El Clasico at the Bernabeu, Figo opened up on the controversial transfer, admitting that he was forced into the transfer due to circumstances and it took its toll on him.

“The person who decides if I’m going or not is me,” the former Portuguese international said.

The transfer materialised due to his agent Jose Veiga striking a deal with then-Real Madrid presidential candidate Florentino Perez and Paulo Futre, who helped broker the deal.

Figo’s hands were reportedly tied as his agent had signed a legally binding document, which would lead to a €30 million penalty if broken.

“Only I could save them, by going to Madrid. But it was the only way to fix it. I was very calm about my own position although at the same time I had a [duty of] care for those working with me. But the decision, I take. I’m the one responsible for it, for my actions.

“The decision to pull them from that responsibility is mine alone. And a year later I stop working with my agent. Because of some situations that emerged. I said: ‘OK, I’ll take responsibility again. From now on, you have your life, I have mine.’”

Talking about how the transfer took a toll on his personal life, Figo added: “Maybe it was good because I thought they were friends and they weren’t. You realise. When it happened, they no longer want to appear with you because of how it looks [in Barcelona].”

“It’s complicated, but I understand. Well, I don’t understand but I don’t care. In the end, I have a very strong concept of friendship, so it surprises you; you suffer because you have a relationship with people you think are genuine and it doesn’t turn out that way.”

The former Barcelona ace also added that he had everything at Camp Nou and if it were a club other than Real Madrid, he would not have left.

“I had everything in Barcelona, but you think: ‘It’s not like I’m going to a second-rate club.’ If it hadn’t been Madrid, maybe I wouldn’t have gone. It’s a challenge, a decision based on feeling valued, convincing me I was going to be an extremely important piece.

The 2000 Ballon d’Or winner left Barcelona after making 248 appearances in which he scored 45 goals and set up 58 more, having won two La Liga titles.

Figo admits that the transfer to Real Madrid could have ended up being a huge disaster, but is thankful that things worked out. “It could have been a cagada, a cock-up, but it wasn’t, thank God.”

Figo’s arrival started the Galactico era at Real Madrid as the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and David Beckham soon followed him to the Bernabeu.

“Maybe I was the pioneer of a new project, but not the club. There was an expectation. I knew the president’s ideas. At that stage we talked a lot. I was his promise, his ‘insignia’. I didn’t always know who was coming but I knew the plan,” he added.