(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Legendary Portuguese footballer Luis Figo told a media house that he would not be surprised if his famous compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo decided to leave Real Madrid for bitter rivals Barcelona.
Figo knows a thing or two about what it takes to shift from one giant to another in Spanish football, having stunned the world in 2001 by dumping Barcelona for Real Madrid. This was after Real Madrid had agreed to meet his 37 million pounds release clause. Now if Barcelona want to make a move for Ronaldo, they will have to break the bank as Ronaldo has a 1.25 billion pounds release clause in his contract. Ronaldo, 31, is also widely tipped to sign a contract extension at Real Madrid. But Figo believes nothing is impossible in the today's insane football market. "We are in a free market. If there is a termination clause, anything can happen," Figo was quoted as saying by Record. It remains to be seen if Ronaldo, who has scored a staggering 364 goals (348 matches) in all competitions at Real Madrid, actually does the unthinkable by joining Barcelona, a club that shares such a bitter rivalry with Madrid. When Figo went back to Camp Nou in a Real Madrid shirt after his infamous move, he was greeted with deafening noise by Barcelona fans who displayed banners that had words like 'traitor' and 'mercenary'. So hostile was the response from Barcelona fans, that Figo - a regular corner kick taker - took only two corner kicks as he feared attacks from fans near the touchline. Former Real Madrid defender Ivan Campostill remembers that night when his team lost that Clasico 2-0 to Barcelona. "That night when Figo first went back was incredible," Camposaid many years later. "I've never heard anything like it. Lus didn't deserve that. He had given his all for Barcelona. It was built up before: 'a traitor's coming,' the media said. No, Lus Figo is coming, one of the greats for you. That night hurt him, you could see. His head was bowed and he was thinking: 'Well, wasn't I here playing for them last season?' But my lasting emotion was admiration: you've got guts." Before his move to Real, Figo was a fan favourite at Barcelona as his creative spark and goals helped the club win two La Liga titles. But all that changed after he decided to become one of Florentino Perez's Galacticos in Real Madrid's star-studded team of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo (the Brazilian One) and Roberto Carlos. Now if Ronaldo does make a Barcelona move, he can expect Real Madrid fans to forget the ridiculous number of goals he has scored for them and the titles - including their record 10th and 11th Champions League titles - he helped them win. Share
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