Portugal legend, Luis Figo, has revealed why he left Barcelona for rivals, Real Madrid in 2000.
The legendary midfielder said lack of recognition from the Barcelona hierarchy prompted his infamous exit.
The former Portugal captain was the subject of one of the most controversial transfers in football history when he dumped the Catalan outfit for Madrid in the then world record £37.2m.
The move only intensified an already bitter rivalry between Barca and Real.
He told La Liga’s official website, “My departure from Barca wore me out a lot. I had a lot of pressure.
“At some point I thought no, but it’s that it was not just the sporting and economic part, but rather that it affected more people.
“You have moments in which you doubt, in which you think about whether you are going to do it or not, until you take the step and there is no longer a way back.
“In the end, as is the case in all professions, if you do not feel recognised one hundred per cent, and I do not mean by the public, but rather by the people that manage the club, if you have other offers you think about changing. And that is what happened.”
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