Porto hit back at 'greedy' Figo

Posted Friday, June 03, 2016 by Marca.com

Porto accused Luis Figo of chasing money, after the former Portugal captain blamed the club's president for Porto's current trophy drought.

On Wednesday, Figo called on Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa to leave the club, given that they have not won a title in three years.

"From a young age, [Figo] was already known for signing two contracts at the same time, as he did with Juventus and Parma," the club's message read.

"He then swapped the love of Barcelona's fans for the money of Real Madrid."

The Dragons said in their daily news bulletin that they did not want to spark any controversies, but pointed to a news story about Figo's close relationship with former socialist Prime Minister Jose Socrates, who is suspected of corruption.

"Luis Figo was a great football player," the statement reads.

"But his talent was confined to the football field, so it is always strange to see him comment on anything else.

"He was never an example of anything," Porto added.

The strong response from the club comes just a day after Figo attacked the club's president during a ceremony in Lisbon, which was sponsored by the foundation that bears his name.

"I think the president has to take decisions and the best decision, in my opinion, would be to step back and allow someone else to manage the football," the 2000 Ballon d'Or winner told journalists.

Porto finished third in the league last season, 15 points behind winners Benfica, while the club also lost to Sporting Braga in the cup final.

Those failures extended the club's run without silverware to three years.

With former Valencia manager Nuno Espirito Santo taking over the Estadio do Dragao dugout, Porto will aim to end their drought in 2016/17.