El Clasico features some of the most hotly contested battles between arch-rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Tensions boil over between Spain’s two powerhouses as they often collide amid a La Liga title race. Like any good action movie, Los Blancos and La Blaugrana gun it out with their heroic and villainous (depending on who you support) characters.
Unsavoury scenes in years gone by include Jose Mourinho’s alleged ear pull on the late Tito Vilanova in the 2011 Super Copa final, Sergio Ramos’ red card after mischief which included a dirty tackle on Lionel Messi, and many other infamous moments. El Clasico never disappoints, especially if you’re a fan of the dark arts.
Yet none of those incidents compare to the drama when Luis Figo returned to Camp Nou two years after a hugely controversial move to Madrid from Barca. The Portuguese playmaker was enemy number one in Catalonia, and the home fans made him aware of this on the night of November 23, 2002.
Barca fans threw several objects, including a pig’s head, towards Figo and onto the pitch throughout the night. The Catalans were enraged with their former winger, and the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner’s teammates, including Michel Salgado, understandably turned a blind eye.
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Barcelona and Real Madrid have played out some incredible games over the years, boasting stars like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Salgado left Figo to his own devices amid chaos
‘Forget it, mate. You’re on your own’
Salgado was on the right flank for Madrid on the night, deployed at fullback to help Figo on the overlap. The iconic Spanish defender also provided an outlet for the 127-cap Portugal international from corner kick opportunities, offering to come short.
However, given the situation at Camp Nou that night, the ex-Blackburn Rovers defender left his under-fire teammate to the high-on-the-hog Barca faithful. As quoted by Sky Sports, he explained years later:
“By the second or third corner, I turned to Figo and said: ‘Forget it, mate. You’re on your own’. I used to offer Luis the chance to take the short corner, drawing up close to him near the touchline, but not this time. Missiles were raining down from the stands: coins, a knife, a glass whisky bottle. Johnnie Walker, I think. Or J&B. Best to keep away. Short corners? No thanks.”
The game itself was fairly dull with the scores finishing at 0-0. The post-match talk surrounded Figo and the wild scenes of backlash from Barca supporters. It was a night many, including Salgado, will never forget but also a valuable point for Vincente del Bosque’s Merengues en route to being crowned La Liga champions.
Figo made history with Madrid, winning the La Liga title twice, the Champions League, the UEFA Super Cup, the Super Copa twice and the Intercontinental Cup. The first Galactico signing of the Florentino Perez era more than played his part, registering 57 goals and 94 assists in 245 appearances across competitions.
On the flip side, it was a difficult period for Barca, compounded by Figo’s exit as they struggled to compete for Spain’s top prize. They finished that season sixth, 22 points off their El Clasico rivals.
Figo’s controversial move
The Portuguese ace swapped Barca for Madrid
Figo was a hero during a five-year spell at Barcelona, joining the Catalan club from Liga Portugal giants Sporting CP in July 1995 for a mere €2.5m (£2.1m today). He lit up Camp Nou with stellar performances, posting 45 goals and 70 assists in 249 games.
The elegant winger, who could also play in attacking midfield, was heralded by Barca fans who took to his creative playing style. It appeared to be a happy marriage between the La Liga heavyweights and Figo, who was emerging as one of Europe’s greatest attackers.
Figo starred at Euro 2000, with one goal and three assists as Portugal made it to the semi-finals in Belgium and the Netherlands, making himself one of the finest players to ever represent his nation. It was during this period when trouble in paradise started taking hold in Catalonia with talk of Figo agreeing on a pre-contract with Madrid presidential candidate Perez.
The Portuguese star refuted suggestions he was party to such agreement and many envisioned Perez was just trying to gain an advantage in the presidential race. That was until Barca president Josep Lluis Nunez put pressure on Figo and Rivaldo by insisting they needed to lower their demands for new contracts should he be elected.
Unbeknownst to Figo, his agent Jose Veiga had struck a deal with Perez for the legendary winger to head to the Bernabeu. This included a €30m penalty clause if the move didn’t occur.
Figo initially didn’t want to join Los Blancos but felt obligated to fulfil his agent’s agreement. He became then-world football’s most expensive player, joining Perez’s Madrid in a €60m (£50m today) deal, with Veiga’s failure to become the Blaugrana’s new president coming too late.
The then-world record transfer left Spanish football shellshocked and Barca fans disgusted. The once hero of Camp Nou, was no a traitor and would be treated as such every time he returned to the Catalonia region.