The biggest betrayal in football history - Luís Figo.

Watch:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJBQ57o-vsA

Luís Figo's transfer from Barcelona to Real Madrid is, to this day, the most shocking transfer in all of football history. Figo was enjoying life at Barça. He won the 1996-97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup,followed by successive La Liga titles. He was a part of a fearsome trio which included Patrick Kluivert, Rivaldo and himself.

He was a fan-favourite. He supported Catalonia's independence and was really having a good relationship with the fans.
One event changed everything.
He was contacted by none other than Florentino Pérez with an offer to join Real Madrid.His agent signed a pre-contract with Real Madrid in order to negotiate a better salary at Barça. That pre-contract had a clause that stated that if Florentino Pérez won the election against his rival, Lorenzo Sanz, Figo would be obliged to sign for Real.
Figo initially refused to acknowledge that he had signed anything. Florentino was announced president on July 16, 2000. He won the election by a landslide. Six days later, Gaspart was elected president of Barcelona. Figo pleaded with him to undo the contract. If Figo refused to go to Real, he would have to pay €26 million to them. Gaspart refused to pay that much money for their own player. Figo's buyout clause at that time was set at €45 million and Gaspart preferred the money over Figo.
Eventually, on the 26th of July, Figo was forced to go to Real.
Gaspart didn't want to do anything to hault the transfer. To pay the €26 million penalty fee would be a huge blow to the club. It seemed that Pérez outmaneuvered them all.
In 2002, when he returned to Camp Nou, the inevitable was waiting for him. Of course, Barça fans had not forgotten the treason he laid upon them, treating Figo like he deserved. He was violently attacked with hateful messagess and chants. The fans called him Judas. Multiple things were thrown at him, most famously a bottle of whiskey and a pig’s head. The match even stopped for 15 minutes because the hostility would not stop. But was it really entirely Figo's fault?



1. SYNONYM MATCH: Match the following synonyms from the article.

1.

landslide

a.

defeat

2.

successive

b.      

reverse

3.

fearsome

c.     

competitor

4.

none other than

d.

outsmarted

5.

pleaded

e.

stop

6.

hault

f.

begged

7.

outmaneuvered

g.

the one and only

8.      

rival

h.

terrifying

9. 

undo

i.

back to back

10.  

huge blow

j.b

an overwhelming majority of votes for one party or candidate in an election

2.Role Play

Role  A – Luis Figo 

You think Luis Figo is the biggest traior in history. Why? 

Role  B – Bob Dylan

You think Bob Dylan is the biggest traitor in history. Why?

Role  C –  Judas Iscariot

You think Judas Iscariot is the biggest traitor in history.Why?

Role  D –  Marcus Brutus

You think Brutus is the biggest traitor in History. Why?


3.HIP-HOP DISCUSSION


1)

How do you think Barca fans felt about the actions of Figo?

3)

How do you think Figo felt about the reactions of the Barca fans?

4)

What do you know about the rivalry that exists between Barca and Real Madrid?

5)

Has the opposite ever hapened where a Madrid player transferred to Barca?

6)     

Why is "el classico "so well-renowned?

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