Luis Figo “Was Never an Example to Anybody, Except in His Love Of Filthy Money” Say FC Porto

FC Porto have been fiercely critical of Luis Figo in their latest club bulletin, after the former Ballon d'Or winner blamed the team's recent trophy drought on club president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa.

Figo started his playing career at Sporting CP, one of Porto's biggest domestic rivals. Earlier this week, he was reported to have said: "Porto have not won anything in three years. The only thing they won this year was the billiards.

"I think the president has to make some big decisions. The best decision, in my opinion, would be to make room for someone else to run the football club."

While Pinto da Costa personally rebuked Figo in an interview with O Jogo on Wednesday, Porto have now gone a step further. The club's latest newsletter contained a statement which read: "When he was young, he [Figo] came to be known for signing two contracts at the same time, with Juventus and Parma. Later, he swapped the admiration of the Barcelona fans for the pesetas of Real Madrid."

The statement went on: "Luis Figo was a great player, but his talent was limited to the pitch. Seeing him offer his opinion on any and every matter is always a little strange. He was never an example to anybody, except in his love of filthy money."

While the statement claimed not to want to stir "controversy", it also pointed readers towards an article about Figo's friendship with former Portuguese Prime Minister Jose Socrates, who has faced allegations of corruption in recent years.

Figo was part of a golden generation of Portuguese players, which included Paulo Sousa, João Pinto, Fernando Couto and Rui Costa. He made 169 appearances for Sporting between 1989 and 1995, before going on to become one of the most celebrated midfielders in world football at Barcelona and Real Madrid.