Why Portugal Legend Luis Figo Could Have Been Slapped With €30M if He Had Not Joined Real Madrid

• Luis Figo, rated as one of the best players of his generation, has shed light on the circumstances which led to his controversial move from Barcelona 22 years ago
• The 2000 Ballon d'Or winner traded FC Barcelona for Real Madrid in a move which saw fans of the Blaugrana classify Figo as a 'traitor'
• Following his then world-record fee of €60m, the Portugal legend made 164 appearances for Real Madrid in his five-year stint, winning the La Liga and Champions League with Los Blancos

Portugal legend Luis Figo has opened up on arguably football's most controversial transfer move back in 2000.

Figo, who was by then the World's best player and at the peak of his powers, literally committed a football sin by crossing the El Clasico divide when he swapped Barcelona for Real Madrid 22 years ago.

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Apparently, the situation was made more complicated by the fact his agent, Jose Veiga, had signed a deal which would cost the now 49-year-old 30 million euros if he didn't sign for Los Blancos.

“Only I could save them, by going to Madrid,” he says, a certain honour in his refusal to relinquish responsibility and blame others as quoted by the Guardian.

Figo reckons he paid the price for his inability to say No but also believes it was the only way out to solve a complicated situation, reports MARCA.

“Yeah, I know,” Figo says. “But it was the only way to fix it. I was very calm about my own position although at the same time I had a [duty of] care for those working with me. But the decision, I take. I’m the one responsible for it, for my actions.

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He further revealed he later parted ways with his agent.

"The decision to pull them from that responsibility is mine alone. And a year later I stop working with my agent. Because of some situations that emerged. I said: ‘OK, I’ll take responsibility again. From now on, you have your life, I have mine."

Figo names best club for Ronaldo

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Cristiano Ronaldo has been hailed by Portugal great Luis Figo who explained how impressed he was for his fellow countryman to have returned to Manchester United this summer.

It was a big decision Cristiano Ronaldo made to leave Juventus after three years even though the club's fans never wanted the Portugal international to leave.

And when the news of Cristiano Ronaldo wanting to leave Juventus came out, Manchester City was the first place named as his destination, but the forward did not move to Etihad stadium.