Football's 10 biggest traitors

#1 Luis Figo

The Portuguese’s transfer between the two participants of El Clasico was the ultimate example of finance plaguing the beautiful game. Anger and hatred towards Figo resonated so much within the Barcelona faithful that there was seldom a game at the Nou Camp where Figo wasn’t the target of countless crowd missiles; one instance involved the hurling of a severed pig’s head at the midfielder as he prepared to take a corner.

Figo had everything at the Catalan club. He won two La Liga titles and a UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup, but beyond that his reputation was infallible, he was adored and very much the golden boy of his generation.

All that came crashing down in 2000 though when Florentino Perez would inaugurate the Galacticos era by triggering Figo’s release clause of £37.5 million at the time. The Portuguese transferred from Barcelona to Real Madrid and whilst his new side rejoiced, his old club had nothing but scathing remarks regarding his decision.

Joan Gaspart, recently appointed Barcelona president at the time, had promised to keep Figo should he be elected, and was angered by his decision to go back on what he had said. “I’ll not forget this,” he announced. “Figo gave me the impression this morning that he wanted to do two things - make more money and stay with Barcelona. He thinks money can do everything in this life.”

One thing he will certainly never do is appease the angered Barcelona contingent.