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the bitterest night lived at the Camp Nou (Martí Molina)

Whistles, banners, handkerchiefs, throwing objects and insults. Rarely has a football stadium experienced such a tense, hostile and unpleasant atmosphere as that of October 21, 2000 at the Camp Nou. On that day, Luís Figo returned with the Real Madrid shirt. The former Barça captain had gone to the top rival with a Machiavellian operation devised by Florentino Pérez. The Catalan fans did not forgive him and took advantage of that football match to channel all the rage towards the Portuguese striker, including the massive launch of photocopies of 10,000 pesetas banknotes with the player’s face. This Wednesday marks the twentieth anniversary of what was surely the bitterest night lived in the stadium.

Figo signed a pre-contract with Madrid and could not resign

Figo had arrived at Barça in 1995, when the coach was still Cruyff. He had personality, character and a lot of technique. In a short time he would be one of the essentials in the starting eleven, he would win the hearts of the fans and he would do merits to be one of the captains. But he had always felt poorly paid in Barcelona. Year after year, President Núñez had been forced to renegotiate, reluctantly, a salary increase. Except last season. And this is where Florentino enters the scene, who in the summer of 2000 ran for the presidency of Real Madrid. Florentino contacted Figo’s agent and promised him the gold and the Moor. An offer as juicy as it was poisoned: in return, Figo had to sign a pre-contract according to which he promised to play at the Bernabéu if the businessman won the elections. As a penalty, Figo would have to pay 500 million pesetas if he breached the agreement and stayed at the Camp Nou. The equivalent of the share of all Madrid members in one season.

To stay, Figo wanted a bank guarantee from La Caixa worth 500 million

Joan Gaspart Former Barça president

Florentino played the cards very well during the campaign, more than many expected, even Figo. The player even denied in public, three times, that pre-contract. But when Florentino won the election the player found himself in a dead end. Shortly afterwards, in intimate circles, Figo acknowledged that he had been wrong. The last bullet was to try to get Joan Gaspart, who also won the Barça elections that summer, to guarantee him with a La Caixa document the 500 million penalty in case he went to trial and lost. “He called me at 12 o’clock the night I was elected president. The next day I had to choose between going to Barcelona or Madrid. I told him that at midnight it was impossible to get that endorsement and he told me that with a Barça document was not enough. And he went to Madrid “, he reminds ARA Gaspart. The former president from 2000 to 2003 adds that he did not regret it. “I think we would have won the lawsuit. But imagine we lost it. Barça would be giving away 500 million to Madrid! They don’t whistle at me, no, they send me to Mars with a kick!” The next day, Figo was presented as the first galactic signing of Florentino Pérez in exchange for 10 billion pesetas, the amount of the termination clause.

That October 21, 2000

The Camp Nou classic fell very soon, on the 6th day, and was scheduled for Saturday 21 October. The previous week was very tense, with statements and counter-statements from each other. Gaspart, still hurt because he had lost one of the crown jewels, put more firewood on the fire. Other Barça managers and players joined in – with more or less force – and the media helped to make the ball bigger. Everything exploded like fireworks on the day of the match. “I remember the day Laudrup came back, which was very intense. But we couldn’t imagine what would happen to Figo,” Valdano, then Madrid’s sporting director, recalled in a report on #Vamos. “I sat down with Di Stéfano at the he boxed and commented to me that he had never seen this. When I spoke to Figo on the plane back he confessed to me that he did not expect what he experienced for anything in the world. ” Figo turned in a dismal performance, however. The fans were so upset, whistling and screaming at him, that he couldn’t concentrate. And the performance of Carles Puyol, then a very promising young Barça midfielder, making a mark on the impeccable man, would end up nullifying the Portuguese’s performance. Barça won 2-0 with goals from Luis Enrique and Simao.

Throwing objects is badly done, but the fans didn’t want to hurt. They threw a thousand and none touched Figo

Joan Gaspart Former Barça president

It would not be Figo’s only visit to the Camp Nou. The following season, the classic would be lost due to the accumulation of cards, but in November 2002 it would return to Barcelona and the same thing would happen again or less. Although everyone was warned, the match was remembered for the massive throwing of objects. That day Figo wanted to throw all the corners and, every time he approached the pennant, he received a meteor shower. The most famous: a pig’s head and a bottle of JB whiskey. “He came to provoke. Anyone else could have stung the corners. And even on one occasion he walked from side to side to do the service. That is to provoke,” says, still indignant, Joan Gaspart. “I don’t approve of anything being thrown, it’s badly done, but let it be clear that the fans didn’t want to hurt, just protest. They threw a thousand objects and none touched Figo,” he adds.

Figo and Barça have not yet forgiven each other

The referee stopped the game – which ended without a goal – to try to calm down and Gaspart had to deal with the Spanish Federation – of which he was then vice-president – to prevent the Camp Nou from closing. Figo would still play twice more at the Camp Nou as a Madrid player, winning 1 to 2 and losing 3 to 0. The last one was in 2004. Since then he has not wanted to know anything about Barcelona or Barça. During his tenure, President Joan Laporta tried to make a reconciliation, without success. Twenty years have passed and neither Figo nor Barça have forgiven each other. The wound remains open.

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