Figo, Florentino, Futre, a pre-contract and the signing that changed everything: "The story began with a lie"

"It was the

. If Luis kept telling Jose Veiga no, we had a

, because Veiga had him signed and someone would have to pay 30 million euros (if Figo didn't sign for Madrid). So I told him : "Jose: we have one option left.

.

That's where the nightmare begins." The one who speaks is

, legend of

and one of the protagonists of the signing of

by

, one of the great movements in the history of football. From today,

tries to clarify all the controversy that arose as a result of the transfer in '

: the signing of the century', where Figo himself,

(representative of the Portuguese),

bring light to the shadows of that summer of 2000.

You already know the plot of the story.

In July of that year, Figo, who was one of the team's captains and had won two league titles with Barça, was presented as

after Florentino Pérez won the presidential

for the Madrid team.

A Florentino who, after an exclusive by

, focused his electoral campaign against

on the promise that the culé star would wear white if he was elected.

"

", admits the president of Madrid in the documentary.

A madness that is understood thanks to the narration, among others, of a Futre who was key in the decision of his compatriot from the beginning to the end.

In fact, the red and white star initiated contacts between Florentino and Figo's agent, Jose Veiga.

And he did it with "

".

"A friend called me and said: 'come to Madrid'. I arrived at a building and they introduced me to Florentino.

Florentino told me," says Futre. But the footballer's entourage was not up to the job of carrying out the operation, and the former Atlético player had to deceive Pérez: "Veiga hung up on me saying it was impossible, but I made him continue talking to him and

.

I put down my cell phone and told Florentino that he wanted 10 million in commissions.

He offered me six.

That day began the history of the signing of Figo, with a lie".

"But are you crazy?"

Those

for Futre and Veiga accelerated a process that lasted all summer, which made headlines and had Barcelona fans and Real Madrid fans on edge, reading Figo in 'Sport' saying that he wanted to stay and in 'Marca' that "perhaps".

Meanwhile, Barça and Madrid walked towards presidential elections that also marked everything.

"Veiga comes and tells me, 'there is this person who wants you to say that in case I win you go to Madrid'. '

?', I answered. I had never paid so much for a player and I was going to win four times more. I didn't believe it", says Figo in the documentary.

The Portuguese put the target of his decision on Gaspart, who according to him did not value him as he deserved and "

".

"Gaspart promised and did not deliver", admits Veiga, who assures that when he told him that there was someone willing to pay Figo's clause, the Barça director replied "if someone pays the clause, I will put you and Figo a carpet red. There is no club that pays for it".

Gaspart, for his part, describes the betrayal: "

. I don't believe it."

The midfielder denies it: "I told Jose to talk to whoever he had to talk to and we already decided. I don't know if there was a pre-contract signed."

Finally, Veiga admits that he signed said pre-contract and that he called Figo on the phone to read it to him.

"

. "

After several interviews in which Figo contradicted himself and after a period in which he seemed to have decided to continue at Barcelona, ​​the film of his signing entered the final stretch with

trying to convince the Portuguese to sign with Madrid.

The reason?

According to De la Morena,

for the white team.

"Figo never signed it," admits Florentino.

"It was more of a

that Veiga and I signed, a declaration of intent.

I was convinced that Figo wanted to come "." Jose knew the commitment he had made and came to convince me.

He knew what trouble he could be in," says Figo.

That clause conditioned everything and caused an

.

"I told Luis that I understood if he didn't want to sign, but that someone was going to have to pay the 30 million euros. There was only one option left: go to Lisbon to apologize to Florentino".

And there, in the capital of Portugal, Figo gave the definitive "yes" and set Gaspart on fire.

"He calls me and tells me '

. You have to give me a guarantee of 500 million pesetas'. How? You ask me for the impossible", says the one who He was president of Barcelona.

Figo denies it.

A few days later, the Portuguese was presented as a new Real Madrid player and showed a not too happy face in his speech.

"I wasn't in my best circumstances. I was there but I wasn't. I was happy at Barcelona, ​​but what was important to me was feeling valued. For me happiness was being able to play, but also being recognized. I ended up thinking about myself.

. Given what happened later in Madrid, it was a very wise decision," says Figo.

"People felt cheated," reflects Guardiola.

"I got sad, I'm not going to deny it."

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