- Why, Figo?
- Because for any football player there comes a time when it is time to end with big football. For me it has come.
- We are convinced that this should be done right now?
- I think yes. And I will be more confident in this, if I still have time to win here, with Inter, one of the possible.
- The possible are the Scudetto and the Champions League. Is it real?
- Of course. We will definitely try. But it will be incredibly hard to do. This is not me saying. History of football. It’s always right to stay realistic.
- When did you decide to leave?
- When I began to notice, and more than once, that they no longer count on me as much as I want. And when my family's decision matured to finally move to Madrid, where we decided to live on.
- You said: they do not count on you. That is, they made it clear, not trusting to play in important matches?
“That's what I’ve encountered in recent months.” It is very important for me to feel necessary, I am so arranged and cannot change in my 34 years. My respect for the decisions of the coach I play with never changes. I agree with them or not at all - it does not matter.
“Mancini once said that respecting him means not being offended when you are under pressure. Do you agree?
- Indeed, I was offended by him. But all football players are notorious egoists. Each of us surely believes that he could play much more than they give him. How to determine Mancini's rights in a given situation? Very simple: look at the result.
“Do you think he could behave differently with you?”
- What is the point of talking about this? Everything is already in the past. Now we need to look to the future.
“And what do you see there?”
- An opportunity to play at the highest level for almost six months. There is no better way to end up with more football than winning. And when you realize that a very important part of your life is coming to an end, you cannot be alienated. In any case, in recent days I feel an increasing desire to end my career at Inter as best as possible ...
“Moratti said the other day that if you change your mind, he will always have a contract ready for you.”
“Yes, he told me that too.” We often communicate. He alone knew everything about my negotiations with Al-Ittihad, about my plans and decisions.
- Irrevocable?
- I made a decision not to leave Inter. I decided to quit big football. And believe me, if I would like to continue playing at a high level, it would not be Lisbon Sporting. My last form in big football can only be black and blue, Inter.
- Why is it Arab football?
“Maybe I would have liked the States.” But the offer of the club from Saudi Arabia, for 18 months, is the only one that allows the possibility of breaking the contract unilaterally on my part after six months, in December.
- Were there an opportunity or maybe your desire to leave Inter right now?
- I will answer so. The feelings and respect that I have for Signor Moratti, and the desire to win with Inter, that he will definitely win this season, prevailed over everything else.
“Despite this, the Arabs were absolutely sure of your arrival at Al Ittihad the other day ...”
- Their championship begins right now. I can imagine how they counted on me in January, and so they pressed me like that.
“Mostly money?” They even said that Figo was corrupt.
- People really like to talk. I usually say a little. It’s much more important to me what impression I will have on people who care about Inter. And thanks to the Lord God that I have already earned enough to not need the last contract.
“But he, however, will be very, very large.” Is not it?
- I needed a little different. This is a mild solution. Do not drop everything all of a sudden, but play another five or six months in easier football ...
Translation by George BYCHKOV