Sporting, taste the hiccups in Barcelona
half a century. Louis is 50 years old today. Almada’s baby was born on November 4, 1972 in the outskirts of Lisbon. At the sports club, young Luis Figo entered the world of football, at the expense of Benfica, who was more popular at that time. Luis Felipe Madeira Cairo Viejo with his full name, made his debut on April 1, 1990, at the age of seventeen. For five years, Luis Figo showed himself to be the greatest promise for the Lusitanians in the early 1990s, and his playing time gradually increased in his third season. With his La Carles Puyol style hair, Luis Figo dazzled and tortured the Portuguese League’s defenses.
After five years and more than 150 games, Luis Figo does not necessarily feel appreciated by these leaders despite all that he has shown. He wants to leave and will find himself in a complicated situation that foreshadows another situation later. Figo wants to go to Parma, and his club wants to sell him to Juventus who want to pay more. An impasse will force FIFA to take a decision and ban Figo from playing in Italy for two years. As a result, the attacking midfielder chose to join FC Barcelona for a meager sum.
Figo in Barcelona, the hero who became an outcast
In Catalonia, I quickly collect Luis Figo. He is a key member of Barcelona de Cruyff and then Louis van Gaal. The Portuguese is a Camp Nou darling, in the same way – if not more – than players like Pep Guardiola or Rivaldo. No. 7 of Barcelona won, among other things, two La Liga titles (in 1998 and 1999), two Spanish Cups (1997 and 1998) and the Spanish Cup (1996). At the time, Luis Figo was simply the best Portuguese player. He received this distinction every year between 1995 and 2000.
Internationally since 1991, Figo has not had a chance to play in the World Cup since Portugal did not qualify in 1994 or 1998. Regardless, the Lisbon player shines in La Liga. However, the summer of 2000 would be a turning point in his career. Figo will once again face a conflicting transfer window with his club. As he struggles to find an agreement with his captains to renew his contract, Real Madrid’s Florentino Perez will upset his future. The Spanish businessman was elected president of Real Madrid on July 17, 2000 against outgoing president Lorenzo Sanz. The victory triumphed in particular thanks to a key argument: the arrival of Luis Figo. Perez has already promised to attract the Barcelona star if he is elected.
And so Florentino Perez succeeded in his first big hit. A week later, on July 24, Luis Figo signed with rivals Madrid for 65 million euros. A record amount at the time that unlocks the era of galaxies initiated by Florentino Perez. This transfer is betrayed by the Catalan community, who will hate the person who was one of them before. On October 21, 2000, Luis Figo returned to the Camp Nou to play El Clasico in the enemy’s white shirt. He will be hissed and insulted profusely and will receive many projectiles, from whiskey to Coca-Cola through the head of a pig that has become famous. This story was even the subject of a Netflix Spain report.
The first golden ball of the millennium
Luis Figo will continue to receive his first and only Ballon d’Or. A somewhat disputed distinction given that the new player in Casa Blanca He hasn’t won anything this season. On the other hand, Zinedine Zidane ranked second with 16 points less. The Frenchman had one of the best seasons of his career and won Euro 2000, defeating Portugal in particular in the semi-finals. Not enough since Figo became the first Golden Ball in the 2000s, after a former teammate (Rivaldo in 1999) and before the future (Michael Owen in 2001).
Luis Figo also remains the Galacticos’ first big hit. He precedes Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham and Owen, with whom he will win many titles. The man who now plays mainly in the right midfield would win the La Liga title in 2001 and 2003 and the Champions League in 2002. The Luzitani international would stay for five years at Real Madrid before discovering Serie A.
Good end to his Inter career
While one might think the 32-year-old was at the end of his career, that wouldn’t be the case. Luis Figo will be part of the Calcio team that dominates Inter, who will be champions between 2006 and 2009. On May 31 of the same year also Figo retires. Rich career of the famous No. 7 player, recognized as one of the 100 best players in history by FIFA. The Portugal captain (127 picks, record holder even Cristiano Ronaldo) will not have the chance to win a trophy with his country. Portugal will fall again in the 2006 World Cup against Zidane’s Blues.
Figo is still considered a Portuguese football legend, along with his predecessor Eusebio and successor Cristiano Ronaldo. Today, Luis Figo is still close to football because he is a football consultant in Inside the European Football Association. He often appears at events related to the European organization. And above all, he remains an unforgettable and elegant player who distinguished his various teams, sometimes for the worse, but also for the better.
