Traitor or defection of the century. Netflix has released a documentary about Figo’s move from Barcelona to Real Madrid

One of the most spicy transfers in football history is now 22 years old. Luís Figo, then captain of Barcelona, moved to the hated Real Madrid, all arranged by the then new president Florentino Pérez. The transfer was so convoluted that Netflix decided to make a documentary about it.

“El caso Figo:: El fichaje del siglo”, or ‘Luis Figo:: The Passing of the Century” is coming to Netflix on August 25. And for fans of Real Madrid and Barcelona, it’s going to be a very interesting show.

The documentary lasts an hour and three-quarters, and the writers collected 30 hours of interviews. For the first time in 22 years, Figo himself, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez, Figo’s agent José Veiga and Barcelona officials will talk about the transfer that has caused huge passions.

What actually happened then? When Florentino Pérez ran for club president in 2000, he promised to bring Barcelona vice-captain Figo to the Bernabéu if he won the election. Nobody believed Pérez could pull off this stunt, but the experienced businessman already had a contract in his pocket.

In fact, he had signed a $2.4 million contract with Figo at Real Madrid if he won the presidential election. If the Portuguese wanted to break the deal, he would have to pay Perez $30 million. As long as Figo belonged to Barcelona, he denied everything and claimed that he would remain a Blaugranas player. Nevertheless, on June 24, the icon of Portuguese football was photographed wearing a white jersey in Madrid.

The only way Barcelona could have prevented Figo’s transfer was to shell out a $30 million fine. That would have meant paying the fifth largest transfer fee in football history… for signing his own player.

Barcelona president Joan Gaspart later said, “Figo’s move destroyed us.” On his return to Camp Nou, he was honoured with banners reading “Judas”, “Mercenary” and “Cheat”. In Catalonia, there is even a new nickname for the word traitor – Figo.

Fans threw bottles, cigarettes, oranges, even a couple of mobile phones at Figo, just anything they could get their hands on. In his third season in 2002, in a match at the Camp Nou, the hatred escalated to the highest level. Figo was pelted on the pitch with coins, a knife, a whisky bottle and even a pig’s head. Most often the objects flew from the sector where Boixos Nois is based, in front of which Figo had to play a corner kick.

There are, of course, many versions about the transfer, as it was at the time. ” Who do you think is telling the truth?” asks Florentino Pérez. “There’s no doubt about it, I’m the main character in the story. Everything I’m about to tell really happened,” the Real Madrid president draws viewers to the screen.

Source: Netflix, Real Madrid