Luís Figo

Luís Figo in 2009

Luís Filipe Madeira Caeiro Figo [ luiʃ fiɣu ] (* November 4, 1972 in Almada ) is a former Portuguese football player. He is his country's most capped player, played at internationally renowned clubs and was awarded numerous prizes. So Figo was voted 2000 European Footballer of the Year and 2001 World Player of the Year. In the 2004 European Cup in their own country, he was Vice-European Champion. Figo started his career in 1989 at Sporting Lisbon and then played in Spain for both FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League in 2002. After four years at the Italian giants Inter Milan Figo ended his career in the summer of 2009. Overall, he won eight state championships with his clubs.

Life

Luís Figo was born as an only child by Antonio Caeiro Figo and Maria Joana 1972 in Almada. He grew up in the working-class district of Cova da Piedade, near Almada to Lisbon. His first club was the U.F.C. Os Pastilhas before joining with eleven years in the youth department of Sporting Lisbon.

Clubs

When he was 17 years old, he made his debut for Sporting in the Portuguese championship. With almost 19 years, he had already attracted international attention.

In 1995, Figo moved from Sporting Lisbon to FC Barcelona. In Barcelona he was coached by Johan Cruyff, Bobby Robson and Louis van Gaal and became one of the most famous footballers of his time.

After the Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, where he was voted the best player of the tournament, he spent a then-record sum of 58.2 million euros for Real Madrid, which still today's (2013 ) eight most expensive transfer in football history represents.

In June 2005 he received from Real Madrid release, since he obviously in the planning of coach Vanderlei Luxemburgo did not matter anymore, and moved to Inter Milan.

After completion of the 2006/07 season Figo wanted to go to Saudi football club Al- Ittihad to be there end his career. He has already signed a pre-contract for one year and should play from 1 July 2007 in Saudi Arabia. However, since there were problems between the club and Figo, the transfer was not completed. Figo therefore decided one more season at Inter Milan to stay there and signed a one year contract.

On 4 November 2007, Luís Figo broke in the Serie A match against Juventus for a foul by Pavel Nedvěd multiply the right fibula. On February 16, 2008 Figo made ​​his comeback in the match against AS Livorno. After several disagreements with manager Roberto Mancini he wanted to leave at the end of the season the club originally. As Mancini but was replaced by Figo's compatriot José Mourinho, he decided his contract in Milan to extend by one year.

After the 2008/ 09 season, he ended his playing career. Since 2010, Figo Scout is in the service of Inter Milan.

National

Figo was launched in 1989 as a member of the Portuguese U -16 national third at the U-16 World Cup in Scotland. Two years later he won the U-20 team World Cup for Juniors in Portugal. In the Football Euro 2000 in Belgium and the Netherlands, Figo was voted the best player of the tournament. Portugal delivered a good performance and reached the semifinals after four wins in four games (including a 3-0 win over defending champions Germany ). In the semifinals, they failed to champion France, after being 1-0 in the lead. Henry had equalized and a converted penalty by Zidane was responsible for the decision.

His bitterest defeat experienced Figo well in the final of the 2004 European Championship against Greece. Portugal was recruited as group winners into the quarterfinals and reached over England and the Netherlands to the finals in their own country. The technically superior to the Portuguese team gritted coached by Otto Rehhagel Greeks from the teeth and lost 1-0.

On 18 August 2004, he announced his temporary resignation in Madrid from the Portuguese national team, but celebrated on 4 June 2005 in the qualifying match for the FIFA 2006 World Cup against Slovakia comeback.

At the World Cup in Germany 2006, Portugal abolished again into the last four. With three wins in the first round you had come as a group winner in the second round and defeated, as in 2004, the Netherlands and England. Again waited France in the semi-finals and they lost again converted a penalty kick from Zidane. On July 8, 2006 Figo played in the 1-3 defeat in the match for third place against Germany in the World Cup his last match for Portugal.

Since September 2010, Luís Figo is the Official UniCredit Ambassador for the UEFA Champions League.

Achievements

As a national player

• U-16 World Cup third parties: 1989
• Junior World Champion: 1991
• European runners-up: 2004
• World Cup Fourth: 2006

With its clubs

• Portuguese Cup Winners: 1994/95
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1996/97
• Spanish Cup Winners: 1996/97, 1997/98
• Spanish Champion: 1997/ 98, 1998/99, 2000/ 01, 2002 /03
• Champions League winner: 2001 /02
• European Supercup winner: 2002
• World Cup winner: 2002
• Italian Cup Winners: 2005/ 06
• Italian Super Cup winner: 2006, 2008
• Italian Champion: 2005/ 06 * 2006/ 07, 2007/ 08, 2008/ 09

* Awarded as a result of the Italian football scandal 2005/2006

Personal Awards

• European Footballer of the Year: 2000
• World Footballer of the Year: 2001
• Portuguese Footballer of the Year: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
• Best foreign player in La Liga ( Don Balón ): 1999, 2000, 2001
• Best foreign player in the Primera División (El País ): 2000, 2001
• Euro 2000: All- star team
• Euro 2004: All- star team
• World Cup 2006: All- star team
• UEFA Team of the Year: 2003
• FIFA 100
• Awarded the Order of the Portuguese Order of Our Lady

Others

• Luís Figo is a fan of motor racing. This was particularly noticeable internationally when he ( A1 Team Portugal) aufstellte with his compatriot and football manager Carlos Queiroz for the A1 Grand Prix, a race team, which he led.
• Figo is married to Swedish model Helen Svedin since 2001. Together the two have three daughters.
• On November 23, 2002, he was pelted during a league game between his former club Real Madrid and his former club FC Barcelona with a pig's head, as he was about to run a corner.