Arguably the highest profile transfer ever made on the continent. In 2000, the Portuguese midfielder decided to join Barcelona’s fiercest rivals in what at the time was a record transfer fee of £37 million. Ever since Figo still remains one of the most detested figures in Catalonia, exemplified by an ‘el classico’ fixture in 2002 in which a pig’s head was aimed at Figo’s head whilst the midfielder was trying to take a corner. Figo was lambasted by the Spanish press for his lack of loyalty displayed towards Barca and would become the first real example of the financially driven football that would become so apparent in the decade to follow. Despite the torrent of abuse he received for the move, Figo enjoyed a successful five years playing alongside the rest of the England squad, winning two La Liga titles and a Champions League title in 2002 when Zidane scored ‘that goal’.
