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- [00:00]
Derek Classen
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- [01:53]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
The Athletic FC Podcast Network I'm Ayawa Kimwaleere. Welcome to Transfers that Shook the World, a summer series from the Athletic fc. Looking back on the moves that sparked fury and saw heroes become villains today we're heading back to July 2000 when Luis Figo did the unthinkable and made the move from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Well, it seems like Cody yesterday that Luis Figo was worshipped in this stadium. How on earth did it end up like this? In it was a transfer that sent shockwaves through La Liga and went down in football in folklore. But a quarter of a century later, how has it viewed now and how pivotal was it in shaping the modern day Real Madrid, for this one we have our Barcelona writer Paul Balus, as well as Joseph Antonio Espino, who covered this deal for AS back in the summer of 2000. Jose, let's start with you. Let's rewind a little bit back to that summer. Firstly, how unbelievable was it to consider Luis Figo, Barcelona's best player and captain, would actually eventually move to Real Madrid.
- [03:14]
Jose Antonio Espino
It was incredible. But it also seemed incredible to think that Fantina would win the the Real Madrid elections. Nobody believed that after Lorenzo, sans his rival and then president, had manager Real Madrid to win two Champions League in three years. The last one only weeks before the election.
- [03:46]
Paul Balus
De Europa Portres Acero.
- [03:50]
Jose Antonio Espino
But for Antidote won and those of us who already knew Florentino knew that the rest, that is a singing figure was just a matter of time.
- [04:00]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, and from a Barcelona perspective, how pivotal was this? Because obviously the two big rivals in Spain, Real Madrid are taking Barcelona's captain.
- [04:10]
Paul Balus
No, absolutely. It was massive. It's something that I think that of course it still stunk until the day of today for all Barcelona fans. And yeah, transfer saga that in a way was a turning point in, I think in the modern era of, of like football in terms of signings, how signings are done. As Jose was saying here. I think it's also key to understand the rise of Florentino Perez. It was unbelievable just to see a president like taking like an election like he did with the president had just won the Champions League. For Barcelona fans. From the perspective of Barcelona fans, it seemed like impossible that it could happen in a way or just so difficult because Figo had sort of positioned himself really as a Barca die hard fan. I can remember that day that they won the league with Louis Van Gaal. They went to the city council just to do these sort of speeches in front of the fans and everything. And Luis Figo took the mic in a hair all dyed in blue and red colors and sang the song Blancos Llorones Felicita Los campiones Blancos dorones Lesinos Cancellones.
- [05:18]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Piscalaza.
- [05:21]
Paul Balus
Basically just making fun of Real Madrid. He was wearing, as you were saying, like the captain Armana Barcelona. And the most outstanding thing of it all is that even the transfer saga, even just a couple of days before Luis Figo went to Real Madrid and posed with a Real Madrid shirt, he was going to the front covers of Barcelona media saying that he would stay in Barcelona. Interesting that he would not be leaving. So all Barcelona fans were like okay, right. This is something that is starting to be made up by all the Madrid media, by this new guy that wants to be a president, that wants to sign the Barca star just to become this new guy at Real Madrid. But, yeah, rumors started hitting on then Figo went to the front covers of Barcelona media. I think that everyone at this point had said, okay, Figo's not leaving. But, yeah, just a couple of days later, you just see him with a Real Madrid shirt in a face that. I don't know if you've seen the footage, but when he's posing with the Real Madrid shirt, he looks devastated, he looks sad, he's not enjoying himself. But, yeah, that's one for the history books. I think that everyone got what they wanted because Figo got a move that, at the end of the day, made him much more of a rich person, I guess. And Florentino Perez got the move that enabled, in a way, for him to be the Real Madrid president and in a way, the man that he is right now.
- [06:36]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah. I want to go into what the motives might have been a little later on. But, Jose, you actually went to Sardinia, didn't you, where Figo was on holiday when this saga actually eventually reached its conclusion. Can you just tell us a little bit about that?
- [06:52]
Jose Antonio Espino
Well, I'll try to summarize the ambiture, because it's. It's very long for me in fever wars, because it wasn't cruel for me. I. I was only 23 years old. It was one of my first big things in the paper as a person, as and as a journalist. I could be talking for hours about the adventure in Sardinia.
- [07:15]
Guillermo Rai
But I will not.
- [07:16]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
I don't want to know what you did in Sardinia. Don't worry, I'm not going to go that deep, man. It's all good.
- [07:20]
Paul Balus
Yes.
- [07:22]
Jose Antonio Espino
In the moment that we all knew that Florentino had won the election, the paper decided to send me to Sardinia with a photographer. And quickly we take a plane. We knew where Figo was because that day in the Italian media had been published that two paparazzi was in the hotel of Figo and they have been kicked out by the management. So we knew the hotel. We knew the place. Porto Cerbo, one of the coolest places in Sardinia. We arrived to the hotel and we were very, very lucky. As soon as we arrived to the hotel, at the hotel, we ran into the. Into Figo.
- [08:08]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
No way.
- [08:09]
Jose Antonio Espino
It was incredible. I knew I couldn't tell him I am a journalist. I was a journalist. So I pretended to Be a fan, a personal fan. I'm not proud of it, but it was the only way to do it.
- [08:21]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
You needed to get the story right.
- [08:23]
Jose Antonio Espino
Yes, yes, it was the only way. I asked him for a photo and he was very kind to me. And then I asked him, while we were making the photo straight out, will you play in Barcelona next year? Figo replied, it will be very difficult.
- [08:43]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Wow. What an exclusive. What an exclusive.
- [08:46]
Paul Balus
Whoa.
- [08:48]
Jose Antonio Espino
We made the front page of the next day newspaper with that quote and. And that photo. Evidently, by early in the morning the next day, the photographer and I had fled the hotel.
- [09:02]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
You went undercover as a fan and you got one of the biggest scoops in Spanish football history. I mean, that's quite incredible. Look, let's move forward a little bit because in the 25 years since the deal, lots have been said about this story, but just how influential. And I think we skirted around it a little bit. What was Florentino Perez in making this deal happen? Because I can imagine it wasn't just him talking to Figo, Jose. I'm sure he was talking to Figo's agent as well.
- [09:31]
Jose Antonio Espino
You have to know Florentino Perez now is one of the more powerful persons in Spain, maybe one of the 10 more powerful persons in Spain. But even then, he was one of the most influential businessmen in Spain. It was almost impossible. Nobody thought that he could win Real Madrid elections. But Sidney Figo showed us everything that came later in these 25 years. The Galacticos winning a ton of Champions League titles in a row, building a new Bernabeu. I think Figo's signing was the beginning of that adventure that transformed Real Madrid into, which had already been the best club in the 20th century, into the one that it's also proving to be the best club on this first quarter of the 21st century.
- [10:22]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, for sure. I'm just so interested, Paul, then, if we bring this back to Barcelona, exactly what this guy meant to Barca fans. You know, it's really interesting because we've articulated that, you know, it was the captain, but just what was he representing for where Barcelona were going at that time? Because also, I think he was in the frame for the Ballon d' or that season as well.
- [10:44]
Paul Balus
Yeah, yeah, yeah, he was. He was that kind of player. I mean, he was the franchise player, top guy, the go to guy, really well settled in the dressing room. He was really close to key figures in the dressing rooms with Jasper Guardiola, he was a really loved character in the city. As I told you, he was really embedded with the club as well. In every public statement that he did, he was really pretty much a Barca fan. And for Barca, having this sort of player, a Ballon d' or contender, in a time that they were trying to step up again in the big stage in, like, European, I mean, if you wanted to get closer to trophies, you had to have players such as Fico. And Figo seemed happy to be here. He seemed to have, like, his friends. He seemed to have, like, the perfect environment to shine. And then, yeah, out of the blue, this happened. It was a move that, in a way, left Barcelona fans helpless. Like, when I look back now, I think that in Barcelona, they blame Figo way more than Real Madrid. I don't think that the blame is put on Real Madrid, because Real Madrid, what they did basically was pay a release clause, which was mad expensive by the time, but they had the money to pay for it. And they put a lot of money in Figo's table as well. But then it was Figo, or Figo's agent, whoever you want to call it in those days, who basically pulled the trigger. So, Barcelona fan, by now, yeah, there was a sense of big betrayal of one play that was one of their own, going to the biggest enemies. And, yeah, despite the fact and all the hate that you can imagine for Barcelona going to Madrid, I think that in that Figo saga, every Barca fan is really aware that the guy to take the blame here is Figo, not the club. Despite, well, that Fiorentino Perez did the unthinkable signing a player that Barcelona thought that he was completely secured at the club and potentially going to become the next Ballon d' or with a Barca shirt.
- [12:28]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah. What was the dynamic then? I mean, we've always known this is a great rivalry, but I'm just interested in understanding from people who weren't there back then what the dynamic was between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Pole. Because, you know, Real Madrid, as we said, emerged to be this incredible superpower, Barcelona as well. But at that time, were Barcelona playing catch up?
- [12:48]
Paul Balus
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Real Madrid were, like, on top of European football. As Jose said here, they won two Champions League in the last three years. Barcelona had not, I think, that they won a league only after. I mean, they were in the time post Johan Cruyff, which was like a tough era for Barcelona, trying to catch up, trying to be the European forwards that they once were. And, yeah, in that quest to try to catch up and try to, yeah, be the best team in La Ligue and the best team In European football, having players such as Figo, it's just fundamental. It's just fundamental. And they felt that they got the right man in Figo. They just took him on a sort of discount deal and yeah, he was starting to blossom as the player that he could be. He was assembling with a lot of good players. I think that Barca had the feeling that they were assembling like a decent squad in there. And it was a huge blow, not just to the squad assembling and the planning, but also to the mood of the club in the fact of, yeah, Real Madrid is coming here and Real Madrid is doing what they want, which is basically taking your best player out of the club because they just want it. And that feeling of being more powerful than you, of doing whatever we want to want with your best player and just taking him out of the club despite he, deep down he might not even want it. And he just signed this contract which was so lucrative and everything. But yeah, they were Real Madrid and they, and they felt powerful enough to do it and they pull it off.
- [14:10]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Okay, well, next we'll discuss Figo's motives and how he adapted to life in Madrid. You're listening to the Athletic FC podcast with I.O. accemolare.
- [14:24]
Derek Classen
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- [15:29]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
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- [15:43]
Derek Classen
And now we're both dry heaving at the stench.
- [15:46]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Do us a favor, grab some Turtle Wax and let's get to work. This has been car tracks with Turtle Wax.
- [15:56]
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- [16:33]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Jose, this is a really interesting one. I don't know if we can really ever get into the head of a football player and what motivates this kind of move, but in your eyes, how difficult was it for Figo to make that move to Real Madrid? Because he won't be the first player to have moved from either club, let's face it. But why would he consider leaving Barcelona? Everything was so good for him there.
- [16:56]
Jose Antonio Espino
Well, I remember that Figo was in negotiations with Barcelona to renew his contract. Paul. Paul knows it. What was said then and what we came know later, it was the pre contract with Florentino was a way to pressure Barcelona to raise his salary. But the move backfired. Figo, like almost everyone, didn't expect Florentino to win that election. But Florentino won and Figo had no choice then. Figo had no choice to set his fate. He had to go to Real Madrid. But it was only a way to pressure Barcelona. But Florentino won and he had signed a contract so he had to go to Real Madrid.
- [17:41]
Paul Balus
Yeah, it's fair to point out that it was a time that Barcelona were sort of low balling in their like trying to sign contract extension with their key players. I think that they had the Ronaldo Nazario episode, which was a player as well who wanted to extend his contract at the club. But Barcelona were lowballing with, yeah, the tolls and everything. And basically he ended up leaving to Inter because he found the contract that he wanted in there. And yeah, that board with Nunez first and then Joan Gaspard was sort of renowned for that, for not wanting to give away too much money and trying to get the best deals out of it. And then, yeah, I guess that on the other side of the country you have a man that is basically putting you a blank check that as Jose was saying, maybe could help Figo in terms of negotiating and everything. As I mentioned before, if you look at the footage and you go back to Figo and the moment that he's posing with the Richard, he looks like a tragedy has happened to him. Like his face, he's just out of his head, basically.
- [18:55]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
You know, it's fascinating. I'm just building up this interesting picture of people that probably don't understand that rivalry with Barcelona and Real Madrid. And I'm trying to understand this kind of idea that obviously Barcelona aren't a poor club, they have money, but Real Madrid have always had this hold of, we can have whatever we want. Do you think that's part of the tension here is that we want to play good football and we want to hopefully attract the best talent. But there's this other club in Madrid who just think they can do whatever they want.
- [19:24]
Paul Balus
It's a really political rivalry. I mean, that's just the bottom line of Barcelona, Real Madrid. And possibly now we see Barcelona in a really top level, because they possibly are. But we have to remember that they won their first Champions league trophy in 1992. That's not that long ago. Real Madrid had a history before that. Real Madrid were the most successful team in that regard. And they have this sort of aura of we are on top of football and Barcelona. We're trying to catch up, as you were saying, with this ideological way of approaching football. We want to play good, we want to bring nice players in and make them play good. And with the way that we play, we're going to try to catch up with the most powerful people in football. There's something that, in a way, shapes the approach that Barca fans have to football. That's why they want to play in a certain way, and that's why they see Real Madrid in a certain way as well. Because in all their history, they've seen Real Madrid as the bully, in a way, in their country. A club that possibly didn't look too much at how things were done as long as they were done. And Jeff Figo was a prime example of that. And what it did, in a way, was just to make it way, way, way more tense, I think. I cannot remember tenser atmosphere at the Camp Nou than the one that took place when Figo came back. That was, yeah, just something that blew my mind, basically. I just can't even remember, like, my uncles with my cousin that was even younger, like, trying to calm him down, like, look, no, no, this is going to be fine. Don't worry. Because, like, the sort of violent atmosphere that was in there, you could feel that in Catalonia, like in all the media and everything, because, like, tension was real.
- [21:11]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah. For a journalist covering his Jose, it's interesting we talk about this political divide between Barcelona and Real Madrid, this deal here, because I said it before, you know, he's not the first player to cross both teams. Right. But this deal here really signified something and actually perhaps created more fire between both clubs.
- [21:30]
Paul Balus
Yes.
- [21:31]
Jose Antonio Espino
Maybe the actual atmosphere is because of Figo, because in the recent years, Barcelona, Madrid, if you see Florentino La Porta, they meet each other every month, they like each other, they speak good words about each other. And so I think, because now Barcelona is more powerful than in the 90s or the 80s or the 70s, then Real Madrid has no rival in Spain. Only when Johan Creed was playing for Barcelona, maybe in the 90s. But what Paul is saying is true. Figo started a war between Real Madrid and Barcelona.
- [22:08]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Wow. Okay. Well, having crossed the divide, Figo had to deal with the fallout, despite returning to camp now for the first time in October 2000. His most infamous return came in November 2002, a game that was remembered most for the pig's head thrown onto the pitch by Barcelona fans, a game Andim Bitten was at.
- [22:36]
Andy Mittim
Seeing the pigs had thrown at Luis Figo was one of the maddest things I've ever seen watching football, and I've watched football around the world, and I'm going to 80 games a season, and I've done that for 35 years, but I will never, ever forget that. So the Classico was always heated and often brilliant games as well. It's the one game which lived up to the hype pretty consistently. But when Figo came back, I was in the main stand and I'm watching him thinking, hell hath no fury like a footballer who's decided to defect to its most hated rival. And remember, the game was goalless, and Figo tried to take a corner in front of this sea of contorted young faces. The boshos nosh, the crazy boys, the ultras, and objects were hurled towards him. There was a barrage of beer cans, lighters, plastic bottles rained down, plus an empty glass of J and B whiskey. I read that the company were delighted with the free advertising. That and a pig's head. Yes, a pig's head. And TV pictures, because I could have access to them, showed several Barca directors laughing, grinning as the players were led off the pitch by the referee to call things down. And Barca were later ordered to close the ground for two games, a ban that was never enforced. I Just remember me thinking, this is going too far here. This is going to stop the game. And it did stop the game. The hatred, the naked hatred for Luis Figo was pure because he was Barcelona's best player and he left. And in the eyes of the fans, he'd lied to go and join Real Madrid. Now, Figo absolutely had his perspective, but it was a huge, huge, huge deal at the time. And to this day, Bigo's name is still mud among the Barca fans, who I'm friends with.
- [24:47]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, I mean, great insight there from Andy Paul. And if we take Jose's word for it, a war had started between both sets of fans. The hatred really began. And I love this kind of cauldron building because of this one player. That's football, right? But for you, on a personal level, like, what do you remember? I know you said something about your uncle having to calm down other people, but, you know, any family connections to this that you realize that the hatred was really true?
- [25:14]
Paul Balus
I mean, in a way, I mean, I don't know, like, how personal this is going to get, but I remember when I was a kid, my older brother, I mean, his favorite player was Figo. And I remember, like, the transfer saga happening. And after that, he was at home just taking a wipe and trying to erase the name of the Barca shirt with Figo on it. But, yeah, it sort of makes you wonder. I've got like the security checks at the stadium.
- [25:37]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
How'd you get a pig's head into the.
- [25:39]
Paul Balus
What they did allow just to get into a stadium, like, whiskey bottle pigstead. Yeah. Jesus. But yeah, good old ladies.
- [25:46]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
I guess I was gonna say that's why football was football. Yes, gentlemen. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [25:50]
Paul Balus
No, no, I'm just kidding. Of course I'm just kidding. I'm not justifying anything. But I also remember, like, from that day, Barcelona media just giving out fake banknotes to all the fans attending to the camp now just to throw them into Figo. And the club being absolutely happy with that. It's just like something that I would say that was fueled by all the departments in the Catalan society and in Spanish football, I would say I would not blame like on one side. But yeah, it was something that, yeah, was like a shared battle from everyone Barcelona based, that, yeah, Fico was the most hated figure in the area for a long while. And in that game, I think that Itola rooted like, in a bad way. I mean, the picture of Figo just walking up to the pitch and having to just close his ear just for the Booze and how loud they were, and it was mad. And then it was a game that Carlos Puyol made a special mark into him, that he was really successful. And that was a moment as well when Carlos Pujol started being a fan favorite because of the way he marked Figo and the way he prevented Figo from doing something good in his return to Barcelona.
- [26:56]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, all right, let's bring someone else in. Let's bring our Real Madrid writer, Guillermo Rai into this as well. Guillermo, I mean, you're listening to the. The Barcelona side, the hatred, the war that has started because of Luis Figo going to Real Madrid. I can just imagine the opposite happening on the Madrid side. Smoking cigarettes, maybe having a little beer, saying, ho, ho, ho, we've got your best play, ladies and gentlemen.
- [27:23]
Guillermo Rai
Yeah, true. It's truly mad, as Paul said. I think this move is seen from two different perspectives for Real Madrid fans. First of all, because it was truly a point of inflection, because it's true that nowadays we see Real as a powerful team, financial wise, not only Sporting wise, but at that time, they didn't have so much money. They were almost close to bankruptcy. But then Florentino came in, he invested tons of money. Figo was the start of that move. And since then, we have. Or Real Madrid have won. I'm talking in plural now. Seven Champions League. So it was truly a point of inflection. But apart from that, talking only about the player, it's true that it could be considered like the forgotten Galactico, apart from the move, because then Zidane came in, Ronaldo or Nazario came in, David Akan, and I think the three of them have been more popular for the Real Madrid fan base than Figo. Also, because the relationship between Figo and Real Madrid is both, especially with Florentino, it hasn't been the best. Figo left, and he left to join Inter Milan, and Florentino wasn't very happy of Figo becoming friend of Raul Gonzalez and Fernando Hierro. They didn't have the best relationship with the President. After that, Figo joined UEFA, which is an institution with some differences with Real Madrid. So because of all of that, the Figo's figure have become not unpopular, but not very popular at Real Madrid, despite the move.
- [29:04]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Interesting. Jose, let's go quickly back to what Andy Mittim was talking about. You know, in terms of Figo's reasons for moving in the years since. And obviously the energy, the dust has settled a little bit. Have you spoken to Figo since moving to Real Madrid and maybe there's some resolution from him.
- [29:25]
Jose Antonio Espino
Well, I have spoken to Figo two or three times.
- [29:29]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Did he say, hey, you're that fan that spoke to me? Was it you?
- [29:34]
Jose Antonio Espino
You were the Barcelona fan? I think now he's. He lost about it? No, but I think he has suffered a lot with that. Because, as Paul said, it was a tragedy for him to go to Real Madrid. After that, I think he learned to love Real Madrid. Now it's not a problem for him. I think it's a person with a strong personality. But he suffered them. He suffered a lot. He was a tragedy, it's true. But now I think he's Madridist. I'm sorry for the Barcelona fans.
- [30:11]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Bit of remorse from the journalists here, gentlemen. This is interesting. The guy that broke the story, I mean, look, that is a really interesting point, isn't it? Know that move to Real Madrid won Figo two La Liga titles, a Champions League and World Player of the Year. And also the big one, the Ballon d', or, which he was set to win anyway, or looked in the frame for it at Barcelona, I guess. You know, Guillermo, you. You came on and said, perhaps he isn't seen as a madrista in the same way that Zidane might have been. Perhaps. But he won a lot with the team. I mean, he must be there on the wall for Real Madrid as one of the greatest players that played for them.
- [30:46]
Jose Antonio Espino
Yeah.
- [30:47]
Guillermo Rai
I think another key thing around his career at Real, or his spell at Real, is that when they won the Novena, the ninth Champions League, the main character was obviously Finerinfidam because of the volley goal, because of the 2:1 goal against Bayer Leverkusen, and because Luis Figo wasn't at his best in the important part of the season. So if we look back at the 2001, 2002 season, Figo ended up with discon form. He played Astade because he was at Galactico, because he needed to play that type of games. But the truth is that he wasn't at his best. And probably because of that, because of this disconfirm, because of Sidan's stepping up, he, apart from all the collected titles, he became more forgotten. I wouldn't say forgotten in absolute terms, but he wasn't like the main character. We are talking about the second season at the club.
- [31:47]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Okay, Paul, Barcelona side. I feel like. I have a feeling how this will go. How will he be remembered? Because there were some beautiful times with him as well.
- [31:55]
Paul Balus
Yeah, yeah. But I don't think that many Barca Fans have those good times in their minds at this point. I think that all that has gone down the memory lane for Barca fans when they hear the name of Figo is just the player that betrayed them. And that's. I still, I think it was in the Women's Champions League final that Figo was an ambassador in Lisbon, like last season.
- [32:17]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, I was there. I was there.
- [32:19]
Paul Balus
And he crossed paths with just Barca fans and they just insulted him. Just like for the sake of it. They saw Figo and just insulted him. I saw footage that just Figo went back to them and said something. But I mean, just to lay out the picture of like, how is he seen for Bassafanta? I don't think that there's a way back for that. Even like the fact that in his time at the club, he was a fan favorite. All the kids wanted the figure shirts. He was the best player in the team. A club captain and a player that, yeah, was about to win the Ballon d'.
- [32:49]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Or.
- [32:49]
Paul Balus
I don't think that now this is going to matter too much to all Barca fans.
- [32:53]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Okay, Paul, let's leave you there. I wanted to leave on a positive, but. I know. Don't cry, man.
- [32:58]
Paul Balus
No, it's fine.
- [32:59]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
It's over. It's done, man.
- [33:00]
Paul Balus
It's done. It's done. I'm just over it.
- [33:02]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Until next week anyway, Paul, thanks for your time. I appreciate you, brother.
- [33:07]
Paul Balus
It's been a pleasure. See ya.
- [33:09]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Okay, next. While having bet his presidency on signing Figo, we'll look at how this deal shapes modern day Real Madrid under Florentino Perez. You're listening to the Athletic FC podcast with I.O. accamulere.
- [33:25]
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- [35:31]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
This is the Athletic FC podcast with IO Acamolera. Yes, Jose, look, as well as covering the transfer, you also covered the Real Madrid 2000 presidential election. And we've spoken about it quite loosely before this point, but how much was it of a surprise? Let's just make it a statement here that Florentino Perez would beat Lorenzo Sands to the president.
- [35:54]
Jose Antonio Espino
I repeat, I think I have said to you totally surprised. Florentino's Perez wine in the election was in almost every one plant. I remember it. But you have to know something. Fantino is not a man used to defeat. You know, Lorenzo San had won two Champions League in three years after a long time without lifting the title, almost 60 years without lifting that title. That is the most important title for Real Madrid in his history. So only for this, it was a great surprise for almost everybody. I don't think anybody, any person, any real Maddie fan, any, Any journalist can tell you the opposite.
- [37:03]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
And my thing is, if you're gonna try and win that presidency, I'm just thinking it's like a game of chess, huh? So you take the king from the other opponents, right? And you bring the king to Real Madrid. I mean, how influential is that move for him to win the presidency?
- [37:21]
Jose Antonio Espino
I think the promise to sign Figo decided the election for me. It was really the bombshell in the papers of that day, the bombshell, Lorenzo San couldn't have promised anything like that. It was impossible to him. But in any case, I think Lorenzo, in my opinion, Lorenzo saw himself as the winner before the election. He thought, it's impossible to me to lose that election. I have won two champions leagues in three years, and for me, that was the great mistake for Lorenzo Sans.
- [37:54]
Guillermo Rai
Correct me, Jose, if you want, but I think that when the news came in about Figo joining Real, at that moment, the former president Lorenzo San had his daughter's wedding. It was at that time, at that precise moment. So he was caught completely by surprise. It was a complete surprise. And nobody expected that move at, at this point.
- [38:19]
Jose Antonio Espino
Yes, it's true. He was at his daughter wedding. Yes, it was true.
- [38:24]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
So he wasn't even thinking about football. He was busy enjoying his life with his new family, huh?
- [38:29]
Paul Balus
Yeah, yeah.
- [38:29]
Jose Antonio Espino
He was totally offside. Totally offside.
- [38:33]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Right now. Look, Guillermo, you know, we've spoken about this, how this move sort of earmarks this era of the Galactico's policy under Florentino Perez. How influential do you think this was to really make a statement that for Florentino, that this is the kind of team I want to have, I want the best on my team and we're going to win everything.
- [38:53]
Guillermo Rai
Yeah, I think in private and in public. Jorge Baldano spoke to us one week ago for a piece and he mentioned this. Florentino, in private and in public, says that he follows Santiago Bernabeu's footsteps. Probably before Florentino, the most important man in the Real Madrid history has been San Diego Bernabeu. That's why the stadium is named after him. And what Santiago Bernabeu tried in the 50s was mostly the same. To try to sign the best player from the biggest or the greatest leagues. Like, for example, with Alfredo Di Stefano, with Puskas, with Copa, Raymond, Copa. So Florentino tried almost the same, tried to purchase, to buy everyone in the market who was standing out. And I think that from that moment, from the 2000s, early 2000s, the strategy and the club has completely changed because they have kept the strategy. They follow the strategy until these days because Kylian Mbappe can be considered as a Galactico as well, or even Trent, Alexander, Arnold.
- [39:59]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, I'm just thinking after, you know, Figo, Jose, you know, Ronaldo, R9, Beckham, obviously Zidane, I mean, that team was unbelievable, Incredible. But I just wonder what history would look like without the Galactico policy, you know, without Florentino Perez, because maybe Barcelona might have won a few more champions.
- [40:19]
Jose Antonio Espino
Leagues, perhaps maybe not only Barcelona. No. Yeah, I remember that time bringing in the Galacticos for Real Madrid, again at the center of the world media spotlight once again. I think that role was being taken away by Manchester United and Milan and Manchester United, I think with Ferguson, without no doubt, with the quality of the players like Saddam Beckham, Ronaldo and Figo himself, I think they contribute to winning titles. It was not solely publicity. It was not only a spotlight. You know, they were very, very good players, the best players in the world. And as Guillermo said, we can't forget, for example, that stunning goal Zidane in the final against Leverkusen in 2022 Champions League final.
- [41:08]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Incredible. That's a good ball for Roberto Carlos.
- [41:12]
Andy Mittim
Hooked into the penalty area towards Sedan.
- [41:16]
Paul Balus
Fantastic.
- [41:18]
Derek Classen
Real Madrid come alive with a breathtaking goal.
- [41:23]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
And I think that's really interesting when we talk about Figo, because actually, yeah, you think about the main characters in Real Madrid. Zidane stood out like a different gravy. You know, you have to remember that Guillermo just to finish on this, you know, there's something interesting about Real Madrid and I think obviously this idea of the Galacticos getting the best players in the world on a marketability side sense, it makes sense, right? Every marketing brand wants to be Real Madrid luxury. You know, the list goes on. If you look at the modern iteration of Real Madrid, Alexander Arnold Bellingham, Mbappe Vinicius, it's really fascinating because I think Real Madrid still have a bit of a problem when it comes to having so many stars or super talented players on a team is how do you manage that formula? Because obviously marketing wise, it's brilliant. But even in the days of David Beckham, David Beckham struggled at the beginning to sort of fit in and then he sort of found his feet. It's very, very hard to put all those stars in one team and make it work.
- [42:18]
Guillermo Rai
Yeah, commercially is undisputable. That is a great move. But in sporting terms, I will say that it depends on the time and as Ancelotti used to say, on the balance. And I think it's a message and a narrative that Xabi Alonso has copied as well. The balance between the stars, between the players who don't really care when they don't have the ball, right, Like Kylian mbappe, like Benitius Jr. And the guys who never stopped running, like Fede Valverde, they are different players, but also leaders for Real Madrid. And I think it's not new, it's not something new. It has proved successfully that, for example, when Fidane Figo and Beckham were there. There were also other guys like Fernando Hierro who used to do the other stuff.
- [43:03]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
The dirty work.
- [43:05]
Guillermo Rai
Yeah, the dirty work. Maybe it's a bit unfair to say dirty because it's something that is is becoming more and more valued within the LED squads. So I would say that the balance is key for these teams. And we cannot only talk about Galacticos if you don't have the academy players, you know, the Federal Verdes in your team.
- [43:27]
Ayawa Kimwaleere
Yeah, maybe I'll substitute dirty work for horse work or I don't know what I could put like, you know, the people that make it move. That's the one. Let's leave with that. All right, gentlemen. Honestly, I could talk about this all day. He's one of my favorite players ever in world football. And this has really given us some really insight on that transition from Barcelona to Real Madrid. Guillermo, Jose, thanks for your contributions and also Paul as well. Thank you for joining us. We'll be back with more transfers that shook the world soon. We'll catch you next time. You've been listening to the transfers that shook the World here on the Athletic FC podcast. The producers were Guy Clark and Lucy Oliva with sound designed by Jay Beal. The executive producer is Adi Movie Moorhead. To listen to other great athletic podcasts for free, search for the Athletic on Apple, Spotify and all the usual places. The Athletic FC podcast is an athletic media company production.
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Paul Balus
Yep.
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Derek Classen
Hi, I'm Derek Classen, host of the Athletic Football Show. This episode is brought to you by Boost Mobile offering reliable nationwide coverage backed by a 30 day money back guaranteed. Love your service or get your money back no questions asked. Boost Mobile offers the same nationwide coverage, network, speed and service consumers are used to, but at more affordable prices. Why would you pay more if you don't have to? Boost Mobile also understands that change can be scary, which is why they allow you to try their service risk free for 30 days. And if you're not happy, you can get your money back. So start saving on wireless today with Boost Mobile's Unlimited plans starting at just 25. Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or find us online@boostmobile.com After 30 gigabytes, customers may experience slower speeds. Customers will pay $25 a month as long as they remain active on the Boost Unlimited plan. Customers who cancel within 30 days of activation will have Boost service fees refunded, activation fees if applicable, and phone payments will not be refunded. The Boost Mobile network, together with their roaming partners, covers 98% of the US population. 5G speeds are not available in all areas.
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Ayawa Kimwaleere
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