Luis Figo

J

JamDav1982

Senior Member
Cruyff seems to think Figo is not in wrong.

Every time he seems to open his mouth now he spouts rubbish.

Absolute genius and a legend for what he has done for club but I personally dont want him back at club in any influential capacity, his opinions seem way off.
 
FCBarca

FCBarca

Mike the Knife
Ustari said:
Obviously they are trolling us..
Click to expand...

Speaking of a fellow troll...

295B63B500000578-3111202-image-a-10_1433433141275.jpg
 
El Flaco

El Flaco

Active member
Quotes from Figo during an interview in a Spanish radio program

Joining Barça: "For a variety of reasons it was impossible to lock down a move to Italy [where I wanted to go originally] and the opportunity arose to play in Spain. I was happy to join Barça despite not making it to Serie A, which was my objective at that time in my career. It also gave me the chance to work closely with the footballing legend that was Johan Cruyff, who is no longer with us”.

Time with Barcelona: "I had a fantastic time there. I don’t renounce my past. What happened should be remembered, that was part of my career and was also a part of the club’s history. Without the things I learned there my playing career would have been very different.”

The pact with Florentino Pérez to sign for Madrid: "I never made a commitment with Florentino, I made one with Real Madrid. Florentino, who was a presidential candidate, brokered a deal with my agent, not with me because I was under contract and couldn’t sign an agreement with someone running for office. During that time me and my agent had a spoken relationship, there wasn’t a contract tying me to him. What they’ve said are lies. What happened next was my decision. Seeing what the situation was and with the commitment of my agent, I decided to sign for Real Madrid.”

The Cruyff-Nuñez clash: "We can learn from the past. I’m not looking for someone to blame nor am I calling myself a victim. The president at the time was informed about the situation, didn’t give it any mind and eventually I wound up moving. Nuñez told me “bring me the money and you can leave” and that’s what ended up happening.”

The reaction when you left Barcelona: "I’m not sure I was ready for it, I didn’t know what the reaction would be like. You make the decision and hope that you can do your best on a professional and emotional level. I had no idea how I’d be greeted. That was a different time, Madrid were going through a transitional period and as a player you would have to go out and face the press regularly. Players are more protected now.”

Returning to the Camp Nou: "Playing in front of 100,000 who are against you is completely different when you’re expecting it compared with when you’re not. So it would have been a lot worse had I been booed at the Bernabéu. That would have made me think my career was over. People don’t talk about the violence my return provoked… These days Luis Figo is considered the bad guy, but what can you do?”

First season at Real Madrid: "I was very happy with winning the league. Winning the title in my first season filled me with enormous satisfaction because we had to deal with the immense pressure.”

Second season: "Madrid were extremely strong and we won important titles. Scooping the European Cup helped us a lot. I was a great year in spite of my knee injury and I was delighted to win the title as, on a personal level, I really wanted it.”

Third season: "After being involved in a terrible World Cup campaign my main concern was staying fit during the summer before the third season. I reestablished myself in the team after the holidays and began the season without suffering any serious pain. And winning another two trophies was wonderful.”

Final season at Real Madrid: "My last season was a strange one. Having three managers made it a very different experience to what I was used to. Camacho was appointed but spent very little time at the club. Then it was Remón and then Vanderlei Luxemburgo took over in January. When you start like that, it’s to be expected that things will go badly.”

Signing for Inter Milan: "I was fortunate to join Inter during a dominant phase in the club’s history. When I decided to leave Real Madrid, I got offers from England but when the chance to play in Italy came about I met with Moratti and made my mind up there and then. I was a professional and personal challenge, I knew I could continue playing at the top level and at the time I wasn’t playing in Madrid.”

http://en.as.com/en/2016/05/30/football/1464635032_389383.html
Click to expand...
 
El Flaco

El Flaco

Active member
Figo's interview with AS

How do you remember your time at Sporting?

I have the best possible memories of my time at Sporting. I was there from the age of 12 until I turned 22. I learned everything there. I learned from Bobby Robson and Carlos Queiroz and even played with Frank Rijkaard. It’s always been a fantastic breeding ground for young talent. It’s comparable to Ajax in that sense, just with another footballing philosophy. It’s a club that produces great players. When I was there the big one was Paulo Futre. Then there was me, Simao, Cristiano, Nani.

You mention Cristiano. What do you think of him?

I admire him and I enjoy seeing his achievements. He just gets better every year. He’s making football history.

How does he compare to Eusebio?

I never saw him play. But for everything he stands for, for the love he showed me, his friendship and his advice, I’d put Eusebio at number one. Everyone will say that I say that for this reason or that reason but ultimately it’s just about respect. Everyone makes history in their own time.

After leaving Sporting you joined Barcelona. What memories do you have of your spell there?

You’ll never hear me speak badly of Barcelona, except perhaps about the way I left. It was a fantastic time for me, a period of my career that really helped me to grow as a player.

I really enjoyed my five years there, I don’t regret anything. It allowed me to be the professional I wanted to be and I only have good things to say. I was very, very lucky to meet Johan Cruyff.

How does Guardiola compare to Cruyff?

Like Cruyff, Guardiola was a super perfectionist. Even in his playing days you could tell he liked to be in charge. He just loved to win.

Why did you choose to sign for Madrid?

It's all in the past, but it all began with a question of recognition. I came to Madrid to win more titles and for prestige. And on better financial terms, of course.

How did you get on with your coach, Vicente Del Bosque?

I was very lucky that Del Bosque was the manager when I arrived. He was the perfect balancing force; he knew how to deal with things better than anyone. We got on really well. He’s a good person and was perfect for Madrid because he knew the club inside out.

Was there any jealousy between the Galácticos?

There wasn’t any jealousy between the players. If there had been we wouldn’t have worked well as a team. I got on particularly well with Raúl and Morientes; that guy was an absolute gem. And Hierro! I always used to shout at him because he never passed me the ball!

Where did it start to go wrong for Florentino?

Florentino began to prioritize the commercial side of the game over the sporting side when we began doing our pre-seasons abroad. It’s what they all do now but it didn’t help us.

Has your old teammate Zidane surprised you as manager?

Zidane has done a tremendous job. It’s not easy to take over a team mid-season and to win the Champions League. He’s done better than anyone else could have done.

Did you feel let down by the way you left the club?

For me it’s all in the past, but obviously I would have liked to have left the club differently. I know why I left. I wasn’t playing, and I know why I wasn’t playing. From that moment on I just wanted to be happy and I went in search of that. I could have just sat and got paid not to play, but I wanted to show that I could still perform at a high level.

“I was the first [of the Galácticos] in, so logically I was going to be the first out. It was destiny.
 
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