Luis Figo has revealed he came close to joining Liverpool after their European triumph, but delays over the club’s financial decisions ultimately led him to choose Internazionale instead.
The Portugal international was playing for Real Madrid when Liverpool emerged as a potential destination. The club had just been crowned European champions, making the move an attractive proposition for Figo, who had admired them since childhood.
“The reason was timing, and it depended on the financial decisions Liverpool had to make. It took them a long time to decide, and at that point, I had to determine my future quickly. I couldn’t wait,” Figo said in a retrospective on his career.
Internazionale then moved quickly to secure his signature.
“Then Internazionale appeared, and I met with President Moratti, and things were quickly resolved. From that moment on, there was no looking back,” he added.
Figo said Liverpool held a particular appeal because of the club’s influence when he was growing up, while the prospect of playing at Anfield was also a major attraction.
“When I was a child, Liverpool was very influential in Europe. Perhaps it was the team I most wanted to play for, but ultimately couldn’t,” he said.
Despite missing out on the transfer, Figo does not regard it as one of the major regrets of his career. He went on to play for some of the biggest clubs in world football and enjoyed a successful spell with Internazionale.
“I was fortunate to play for the best teams in the world, and I’m happy about that. I don’t feel like I missed out on that dream,” he said.
Figo spent four seasons with Internazionale and finished his professional career at the club in 2009. During that period, he helped them win several honours, including four successive Serie A titles.
The former midfielder also disclosed that he had another opportunity to change clubs in 2007, when he was offered the chance to move to Saudi Arabia. That possibility came at a time when the Saudi league had not yet experienced the large-scale arrival of overseas players seen in recent years.
“Before this craze started, I had the opportunity to join a team there. That was at the end of my first contract with Internazionale, around 2007,” he said.
However, the proposed move collapsed because, according to Figo, those involved were not sufficiently serious about completing it.
“It couldn’t be completed because the people involved weren’t serious enough. So in the end, I stayed at Internazionale for another two years. But Saudi Arabia back then wasn’t what it is now,” he explained.
Figo also assessed Real Madrid’s recent recruitment and believes the club addressed key weaknesses in the squad rather than simply pursuing the biggest names.
“I think Real Madrid made very good signings. They brought in the players they needed in important positionscenter-back, full-back, and wingersuch as Diomande. Overall, Real Madrid signed well, driven more by necessity than by big names,” he said.
He added that strengthening the squad could help restore competitiveness and improve morale after Real Madrid failed to win a championship in either of the previous two seasons.
“After not winning a championship in the past two seasons, this step was necessary, and the team had to strengthen. This is important for dressing room morale and allows fans to approach the new season with greater hope and genuine enthusiasm.”
Figo also questioned the sustainability of increasingly high transfer fees, pointing to club budgets and financial fair play regulations as factors that could eventually limit spending.
“It will stop at some point. Indeed, it depends on the club’s budget, financial fair play rules… but these figures are very high,” he said.
He argued that the biggest fees cannot be justified financially through commercial income alone.
“I don’t think it’s possible to recoup a €150 million transfer fee through things like selling jerseys, as outsiders often claim or as people want us to believe. These signings can bring sporting returns, but financially, it’s very difficult,” Figo concluded.
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