Luis Figo Reveals Why He Joined Real Madrid From Barcelona; Compares Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo

Luis Figo Reveals Why He Joined Real Madrid From Barcelona; Compares Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo

​Luis Figo has revealed he made the controversial move from Barcelona to Real Madrid due to a lack of recognition from the board at the Catalan club.



Figo shocked the world of football in the summer of 2000 when he left Barcelona, where he was the star man and a fan icon, to join bitter rivals Real Madrid, who paid a then world record fee of £37m for the midfielder's services.



Figo's move intensified the already fierce rivalry between the two clubs, with the first match between the two following the transfer in October 2000 resulting in the relentless taunting of Figo from almost all 98,000 fans inside the Camp Nou. Fans shouted insults such as "Judas", while some took it further by throwing objects onto the pitch, with Figo the target.



And now, speaking about the transfer on his Instagram Live, Figo said, "It was an important but difficult decision. I left a city that gave me a lot and where I felt good."





Revealing the reason for his move, the Portuguese legend stated, "But when you don't feel like you're recognised for what you're doing and you have an offer from another club then you think about it."



Figo was then asked about the one player that he loved most among the many legends that he played with. He answered, "Raul is a winner. It's because of his mentality that he won so much in his career. He always knew what to do and how to move on the pitch."



Comparing his opinion Raul and Cristiano Ronaldo, Figo concluded, "Ronaldo has speed and power but it's hard to choose Raul's best [attributes], he had a bit of everything, he always scored and made a difference."