Luis Figo returns to Barcelona

memorable

November 23, 2002: Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo became a fan favorite during his six years at FC Barcelona, ​​even becoming the team's captain. But a surprising move to rivals Real Madrid brought the romance to an abrupt end.

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In 1995, Luis Figo moved to FC Barcelona from Sporting Lisbon. In the Catalan metropolis, the 1.80-meter-tall Portuguese has entered the hearts of fans with his dribbling style. The midfielder captained the Reds and Blues to two league titles and two cup titles.

Figo subsequently gained a different kind of respect than other foreigners in Catalonia – a region ignored by the central government in Madrid. He is one of their own. One club official even said that Figo is more important to Barcelona than local player Guardiola.

The captain of Barcelona is a foreigner.Image: EFE

when love turns to hate

But after six successful years, great admiration turned to abyss of hatred. At the 2000 European Football Championship, Figo was named the best player of the tournament. The Portuguese transferred to rival Real Madrid for a record 60 million euros.

Figo even revealed in an interview that this change was easy for him: “At Barcelona, ​​I was not satisfied with my value. So I got this opportunity and there was no hesitation.”

Even more irritating to Barca fans is the fact that for months he has denied rumors of a possible move to the mythical creature.

Figo changes front.Image source: Associated Press

As Der Spiegel wrote, Catalans have since insulted him as “Judas Figo” and even set up the website antifigo.com. It was intended to be a hodgepodge of insults directed at “Barcelona's most hated player.” She has now disappeared from the internet.

Figo has been described as a “money whore”. Image source: Associated Press

In retaliation, the club also organized a service in which every fan who purchased 25,000 jerseys with immigrant names on them could receive the “Luis Figo” imprint for free and receive a free copy of the Catalan shirt. Remove the number 7 from the jersey. “This is the last thing that fans want to see: a jersey from someone who no longer plays for us,” said fan shop manager Josep Maria Meseguer, explaining the event.

Derby of Shame

Figo ended up losing 2-0 on his first return to Barcelona. But it is not this game that is historically significant, but the match between Barcelona and Real Madrid on November 23, 2002. Luis Figo had to cover his ears for “the loudest concert of whistles in the history of football in this country”.

Maybe it's better this way: the insult at the Camp Nou was pretty bad, to say the least. Every time Figo touched the ball, a loud “Pesetero” (“money whore”) could be heard from the stands.

Figo is the number one enemy.Image source: Associated Press

Real Madrid's plan to have their No. 10 take corners (“I'm not afraid, I'll take corners again”) may not be the smartest idea in the club's long history. In the 72nd minute, Figo wanted to take a corner kick, and the home fans turned their attention to the “traitor”.

A corner of his former home proved to be an impossible task.Image source: Associated Press

They threw numerous objects at the traitors: plastic bottles, rotten fruit, coins, knives, whiskey bottles and even pig heads. The then 30-year-old didn't want to see the animal flying object. “If I saw that pig, I would eat a piece of it,” he said with a laugh.

The offensive player must return to a safe position in the center of the field without completing any task. Local players and coaches tried to calm the angry rioters – but to no avail. The scene repeated itself as the Portuguese approached the corner flag again. Figo later admitted: “I was very worried that a madman would no longer be able to control himself.”

The referee must send both teams back to the locker room. After a quarter of an hour, the game could finally continue with the upcoming corner kick.

The game itself is certainly not a treat and is ultimately aimless. FC Barcelona would initially be punished with a two-match ban for the incidents. The Catalans successfully appealed and were only fined a (ridiculous) €4,000. That's not much more than what some fans paid for tickets on the black market.

The Portuguese still remains in the memories of Barcelona fans. During the 2004 European Cup final, famous Barcelona fan Jimmy Jump sprinted across the pitch and threw a Barcelona flag at Figo, clearly showing his disdain.

After retiring in 2009, Figo looked at things more calmly: “I don't have any problems with Barcelona.” But the Portuguese was not so comfortable. So Figo no longer accepts interviews from Barcelona media. The father of three almost never spends his holidays in the Catalan capital.

Under the leadership of Sepp Blatter (88), world football association FIFA has become a money-making machine. Under his successor Gianni Infantino, business no longer had any boundaries. Bratt has now come to a painful conclusion.

Sepp Blatter, December 11 FIFA President Gianni Infantino wants to award two World Cups at the same time – the 2030 World Cup will be shared by six countries and the 2034 World Cup will be awarded to unfair Saudi Arabia . What are your thoughts on the proposed procedure?
Sepp Blatter: This is a farce. Both world titles were awarded in the same package. And there is no selection at all, there is only one applicant for each event: the 2030 World Cup is Spain, Portugal, Morocco, and the opening games will be played in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay. The year 2034 is Saudi Arabia.