Has the world's most expensive footballer become so important to his side that they cannot win without him? That is the question Real Madrid fans are asking as they prepare for tonight's sumptuous Champions League clash with Italian champions Lazio at the Bernabeu in Madrid.
The world's most expensive footballer, of course, is 28-yearold Portuguese wizard Luis Filipe Madeira Caiero, otherwise known as Figo, the man bought by reigning European champions Real Madrid from arch-rivals Barcelona last summer in a bitterly controversial deal that cost the Madrid club $60 million dollars - give or take a peseta or two.
So far, his first season with Real has reaped good results. Real come into this evening's clash with Lazio on top of their Champions League group, having beaten both Leeds away and Anderlecht at home. Already, they look assured of a place in the quarter-finals, with the only real question about their Group D seemingly centred on which of the Anderlecht, Lazio or Leeds trio will finish second behind them.
On the domestic front, things appear to be going equally well. Real are currently top of the Spanish league, four points clear of last season's surprise champions, Deportivo La Coruna, eight points clear of eternal rivals, Barcelona, and 11 points clear of fourth-placed Valencia, the side that entertains Manchester United in another Champions League clash tonight.
Everything would be perfect were it not for the fact that Real surprisingly tripped up on Saturday when beaten 1-0 away to Basque side, Athletic Bilbao. That defeat ended an unbeaten run that stretched back to November 4th (a 3-1 loss to relegation battlers, Numancia). Since that surprise setback, Real had won 11 out of their 12 subsequent league games.
Inevitably, the fact that Figo was ruled out of Saturday's game through suspension has not escaped notice.
Is the side coached by Vicente Del Bosque now Figodependent? The Madrid coach dismisses the idea, pointing out that any side can lose in Bilbao, especially if, as Real did, it concedes a "soft" goal in only the third minute.
What is true, however, is that Raul, Steve McMannaman, Roberto Carlos, Morientes et al will doubtless welcome the Portuguese star's return for tonight's prestige clash. What is also true, as Figo himself admitted this week, is that for Real Madrid, the winning-most side in European soccer history, nothing matters more than the Champions League:
"Historically, Real are a lot keener on the Champions Cup than on the league . . . ," says Figo. Lazio, desperate for points after defeats by Anderlecht and Leeds, can expect no favours.
Figo is the first to add that he too is extremely keen on winning a Champions League trophy. Despite his current huge market value and the prestige European Player of the Year trophy, Figo has yet to win a major senior international competition at either club or country level.
Since winning the FIFA Youth World Cup with Portugal in 1991, he has experienced more disappointment than success with Portugal. Most recently, there was that controversial Golden Goal penalty defeat by France at the semi-final stage of Euro 2000.
Doubtless, the European Player of the Year intends to be back "going well" at the Bernabeu tonight.
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