Figo admits he could have chosen a different path in Spain

Former Portugal captain Luis Figo has opened up about the Spanish transfer market and admitted he could have seen himself playing for other clubs beyond Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Speaking to AS, the 2000 Ballon d’Or winner revealed that Atlético de Madrid had always appealed to him during his playing career.

“Besides Barcelona or Real Madrid, I might have liked to sign for Atlético, because of their philosophy, the stadium, the atmosphere… It was always exciting to play there, even though I was always on the opposing team,” Figo said.

The ex-Portugal international, who enjoyed five years at Barcelona before making a historic and controversial switch to Real Madrid in 2000, also confessed that playing in Andalusia would have been special.

He continued, “It would have been great to play a clásico in Seville. I won’t say whether for Betis or Sevilla, because the other team would kill me, but it would have been amazing given the atmosphere there.”

Figo’s move from Barça to Madrid remains one of the most infamous transfers in football history, as he became the first “Galáctico” under Florentino Pérez and was branded a traitor by Barcelona fans.

Now working as a Betfair ambassador, Figo also shared his thoughts on Real Madrid’s current challenges following the departure of Luka Modrić.

“We have to see how Modrić’s departure will affect them, as he has been very important in recent years. After a season like the last one, the club always tries to strengthen itself to be more solid and improve the squad.”

Still, the former midfielder insisted that Real Madrid’s ambition remains undiminished, “The intention is to overtake Barça and win La Liga again, along with the other competitions. When you play for Madrid, you are always competing to win everything.”

Ahead to the new La Liga season, Figo tipped several stars to shine, including Vinícius Jr., Raphinha, Kylian Mbappé, and Julián Álvarez, while also admitting his admiration for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Marcus Rashford.