Luis Figo’s four-year spell at Inter brought four Serie A titles, a memorable winning goal in the Supercoppa Italiana and a final season under Jose Mourinho. It also included a bizarre accusation that the Portugal great had deliberately run over a black cat at the club’s training ground.
Figo’s first Inter goal came in unusual circumstances. In August 2005, only about 300 spectators watched the club beat Al-Ittihad 2-1 in the Sky TV Trophy, a 60-minute friendly. No footage of Figo’s fourth-minute goal exists, although Inter’s match report described it as “spettacolare”. Mohamed Kallon later scored for the Saudi side.
By then, the 32-year-old Figo was seeking one last challenge. Inter appeared well suited to his ambitions after winning the Coppa Italia and finishing third in Serie A the previous season, having lost only twice.
Adriano, then 22, had scored 28 goals in all competitions, while Francesco Toldo, Javier Zanetti, Ivan Cordoba, Esteban Cambiasso and Dejan Stankovic were among the other leading players. The right-wing position, however, was available after being shared by Andy Van der Meyde and Ze Maria.
Figo quickly established himself, operating on the wing or behind two strikers in a midfield diamond during the 2005–06 season. He scored his first competitive Inter goal against Parma on November 20, meeting a Juan Sebastian Veron pass before lifting the ball over the goalkeeper.
He then supplied three assists in a 4-0 win over Reggina. Manager Roberto Mancini gave Figo freedom to move across the pitch.
“I don’t tell him to stay on the wing or move him if he moves to the middle,” Mancini said. “Figo knows he can go and play where he wants at a certain point in the match if he feels it’s right.”
Inter finished third again with 76 points, despite winning more games than in 2004–05 and suffering six more defeats. However, the Calciopoli scandal saw Juventus and Milan docked points retrospectively, giving Inter the title their first Serie A championship since 1989.
Inter strengthened further before 2006–07 by signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Patrick Vieira from relegated Juventus. Juventus were sent to Serie B, while AC Milan and Fiorentina also lost points, leaving their title hopes severely damaged.
Figo made an immediate impact by scoring the 94th-minute winner as Inter recovered from 3-0 down to beat Roma 4-3 in extra time in the Supercoppa Italiana. It proved to be his finest goal for the club.
Inter went on to win 17 consecutive league matches between October 2006 and late February 2007, but Figo was increasingly rotated and his relationship with Mancini deteriorated.
“I have always behaved in the same professional way, but [Mancini] showed a lack of respect with some of his choices,” Figo later said. “A coach is always free to criticise his players, but Mancini did it in the wrong way with me.”
In January 2007, Figo agreed to join Al-Ittihad, who offered him what their chairman called “one of the biggest contracts ever seen in the Middle East”.
“I was looking for a soft solution,” Figo said. “I didn’t want to retire immediately. This way I can play another five or six months of light soccer.”
He added that he “needed to feel important”. But after scoring his only two league goals of the season in Inter’s final two matches, Figo cancelled the move in May, citing a breach of contract.
Massimo Moratti persuaded him to remain at Inter on a one-year deal, with the promise of an ambassadorial role after the season. Figo stayed despite his differences with Mancini, but his 2007–08 campaign was disrupted when he broke his fibula after 11 appearances.
When he returned in February, he was mostly restricted to substitute appearances. Then came the black cat story.
Vittorio Feltri, editor of Libero, accused Figo of deliberately running over a black cat that regularly lay on the grass at Inter’s training ground. Feltri claimed the superstitious player had done so to remove bad luck.
“It is completely untrue,” Figo replied. “I want [Libero] to apologise otherwise I will be obliged to take legal action.”
Protesters were reportedly waiting for him at the training ground with banners reading: “Figo, you’ve killed a black cat, the whole world is disgusted with you.”
Inter supporters, however, largely admired Figo’s professionalism and performances. Moratti also remained loyal to him, and Inter dismissed Mancini at the end of May. Officially, the decision followed comments by the manager about leaving; unofficially, it was linked to his treatment of Figo.
Figo had been due to begin his ambassadorial duties that summer, but Mourinho’s appointment persuaded him to play one final season. He appeared more often in 2008–09, mainly as a substitute, and helped Inter win a fourth consecutive Serie A title.
His final Inter goal was a leaping header in a 3-0 win over Lecce in February 2009. On his last appearance, Javier Zanetti handed him the captain’s armband.
Figo ended his Inter career with four Serie A titles in four seasons, his final medal arriving at the age of 37. Had the Al-Ittihad transfer gone through in January 2007, he might have left Italy with only one.
The black cat allegation was finally discredited in 2012, when Feltri admitted the story was nonsense.
