10 of the most memorable transfer related quotes in football history

#8 Joan Gaspart on Luis Figo’s 2000 move to Real Madrid, 2017

Figo celebrates scoring a goal

“Figo was a coward who betrayed us”

In the summer of 2000, Luis Figo made one of the most infamous transfers in football history when he left Barcelona to sign with their hated rivals Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of £37m. Barca fans never forgave the Portuguese midfielder – throwing objects such as a pig’s head at him when he returned to play for Real at the Nou Camp.

Evidently, Barcelona’s former president Joan Gaspart – who was vice-president at the time of the move – still hasn’t forgiven the player some 17 years on. When asked about Neymar’s 2017 move from Barca to Paris St. Germain – for a new world record fee of £200m – Gaspart managed to throw both players under the bus in one fell swoop.

“Figo left with treachery and with no time to renew the team,” Gaspart said. “He was a coward who betrayed us. Neymar went for the money, full stop.”

Essentially, despite being labelled a money-grabber for the want of a better term, the Brazilian striker was still being compared favourably to Figo, who simply made an unthinkable move and will likely remain despised in Barcelona for years to come. Gaspart’s quote likely summed up the feelings of all Barca fans.