SPANISH LEAGUE: Position in the league: 2

WORLD CUP: Portugal (Group D)

SITE LAST UPDATED: 20/04/02

Luis Figo Talks Exclusively To Soccerage

08/09/2000. Figo is, along with Raul, the king of the Spanish capital.

The man that Barcelona fans adored a month ago is now a Real Madrid player. Figo’s name can often be heard during team practice and at the end, the number 10 spends long minutes signing autographs.

But Figo enjoys what he does: “I hope to be at least as happy here as I was in Barcelona”.

Figo arrived at the training camp 45 minutes before practice was scheduled to start. He parked his blue Porsche Carrera (that still carries a Barcelona plate), heard the support from the fans (“Don’t worry about what they say in Barcelona, you will show them on the field”), greeted the Portuguese reporters and went to get ready for practice.

Later on, a few minutes before practice we scheduled a smooth and quick conversation for after practice. Figo trained hard, played with the crowd and went to the locker room to take a deserved shower.

The wait was long. Figo showered, had a massage and already at he parking lot, signed more autographs. Finally, he gave a few minutes to the Portuguese media. It was not like a press conference, it was just a light conversation in which the Portuguese player talked about his first days in Madrid, after five years in Barcelona.

The midfielder likes the city and is happy with the reception he received from the club and the fans.


FIGO: The team and the city of Madrid have been great. The atmosphere among the players is excellent and this makes everything much easier. I’ve been in Madrid for a short period of time, but I can feel I’m going to like it. Deep inside I’m just like everybody else, I just want to be happy.

My first game with the Real jersey was not bad. It was better than I expected, because physically I was in a level below the other players. I was able to play for 90 minutes at a consistent level but we cannot go too far.

SOCCERAGE: What do you mean?
F: It was only my first game and I felt like I had to show some good stuff. At this stage of the season the important thing is not to score goals or to get assists but to improve our physical condition. It is essential that we work on this now, looking forward to a long season.

SA: You and Raul seem to be getting along well on the field…
F: Yes. Everything is working well so far. I hope that it will be like this in the future. It will be good for me, for him, and especially for the team.

SA: What was your first impression of Del Bosque, your new coach?
F: I’ve been working with him only for a few days. It is too early to say something, but he looks like a guy who is open for dialogues and treats all the players the same way. He is a man from soccer, which makes everything easier.

SA: What are your goals playing for Real Madrid? Win your first Champions League?
F: I don’t like to specify things like that. I want to win important titles, but I’m not obsessed for a specific one. Obviously, I would like to win something this year playing for Real.

SA: The Madrid journalists were very impressed with your easy adaptation. They said that is rare to see a player transfer from one big club to another and have an easy adaptation.
F: I think this is very important. Everything is going well but we still have to wait for a little while for the adaptation to be complete.

SA: People say that things are not so easy in Madrid. So many good players…
F: I think the opposite. I have nothing to complain about so far. Everybody has been very nice to me and that is why the adaptation has been so easy.

SA: This last month and a half was tough for you…
F: Many things were said and written about me and many were not true. I just did not want to get involved…

SA: To go from Barcelona to Real Madrid may be a unique experience for a soccer player. How did you feel when you wore Real’s jersey for the first time?
F: I felt something different, but this is how soccer is. Now I play for Real Madrid and I want to be as happy as I was in Barcelona.

SA: It will be rough when you go back to Barcelona in Real Madrid’s uniform.
F: I’m used to the pressure. I know that it won’t be easy, especially because I had some great moments there, but this is in the past. The Spanish Championship is very competitive and anywhere we play there is always a lot of noise. I don’t mind.

SA: Barcelona is offering, for free, to remove your name from their jerseys. How do you feel about it?
F: They can do whatever they want. I really do not care. This is a decision of Barcelona’s staff and that is nothing that I can do about it.

SA: Doesn’t it hurt you, after playing for them for five years?
F: I don’t want to talk too much about it, because it is still inside me. Life and soccer are like that. We are adored in some places and hated in others.

As the thoughts drift along Figo’s last words to the conclusion that today’s football stars are the acceptable equivalent of gladiators, the interview with the creative force ends and Figo rises to go and pose for some press photographs before leaving for the hotel he is temporarily calling home.

For an international star this is the routine.

Pedro Vasco/Andre Vainer