Luis Figo will eternally be remembered as the player who left Spain in flames after leaving Barcelona for Real Madrid at the peak of their rivalry.
The Portuguese superstar signed for the Catalans in 1995 and spent five years at Barcelona, even becoming one of their most loved players.
Florentino Perez, however, promised to bring the player to Madrid should he be elected president, and managed to pull the deal through.
Figo thus moved to Real Madrid in the summer of 2000 where he spent the next five years of his career winning all accolades and going down in history as one of the team’s best players.
Speaking to the media earlier this week, the club legend spoke in depth on a number of topics including his current relationship with the club, Real Madrid’s performance this season and some of the standout players.
Figo’s interview began with the club legend being quizzed on whether he had visited the new Santiago Bernabeu.
“I went because I have season tickets. If I don’t go, my daughters will go. I’ve been a member for more than 20 years,” he said.
Questioned on whether he saw himself as a potential manager of Real Madrid at any time in the future, the former Real Madrid star did not rule the possibility out.
“I never planned my projects and opportunities in my life. Your path in life leads you to make decisions and then you are right or wrong.”
“This is what I have always done in my life. I never thought that I ‘I will work to be this or that’ over the year,” he added.
Figo was then quizzed on why he did not see eye to eye with the Super League to which he responded by criticising the way the league is set up.
“Look, I like competitions if there is honesty and sporting merit. I am from Madrid and I have nothing against Madrid and not agreeing does not mean that I am against it.”
“What I see is that a player like me, who started playing at Sporting, the way the Premier League is set up, I would never have the opportunity to play,” he added.
“My dream was always to play in the Champions League because I saw it on TV and dreamt of being at that level,” Figo concluded on the topic.
The interview then moved in the direction of Figo’s relationship with Florentino Perez, and the player revealed that matters were not rosy between the two parties.
“There are many things in which Florentino Perez and I differ, and when I was a player and did not agree with him, I told him that.”
“He is the president of the club that I support and of which I am a member. He is the president, he brought me to Madrid and has told me that you are leaving now. We have a politically and sportingly correct relationship,” he continued.
Real Madrid have been in fine form this season, losing only twice and sitting atop the league standings. Speaking on the team’s performance and attitude this season, he said,
“I see them well, and I think they decide matches irrespective of the difficulty. They have a quality team, young, hungry for titles and with a great coach. I think they will be the champion this year.”
Addressing the elephant in the room, Kylian Mbappe’s arrival at Real Madrid, Figo was asked to give advice to the young new signing.
“To be happy, that’s the most important thing in life. I looked for my happiness and I was lucky enough to come to Real Madrid and be there for five years.”
Figo was then asked to give his two cents on Jude Bellingham who has enjoyed a fine start to life in Madrid. He revealed that he was not surprised by the player’s quality, stating,
“I was surprised by the adaptation, but not the quality because I know him. It is logical that when you arrive at a club, you need to adapt, but he did it and everything is very easy and good for the club and him.”
A trick question followed immediately, asking if he saw Bellingham with a place in the Real Madrid side that boasted of him, Zidane, Ronaldo and Raul.
“Maybe not, but you never know… I’m joking. I don’t know. We had what we had, a wonderful generation, we had a great team. Players like him always have room.”