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Motivation Quote by Luis Figo

"There was interest from clubs in Italy and England, I believe. But I've never been attracted by the way they play in Italy. Staying in Spain was always my preference"

About this Quote

Figo isn’t just talking about tactics; he’s drawing a cultural border in the sand. “I believe” does a lot of quiet work up front, softening the claim of foreign interest into something both plausible and deniable. It’s the language of a player who knows transfer talk is theater, and who wants credit for being wanted without getting pinned down on receipts.

Then comes the real message: “I’ve never been attracted by the way they play in Italy.” That’s not a neutral preference. In the era Figo came up in, Italy still carried the stereotype of chess-match football: rigid structure, risk management, defending as an art form. Spain, by contrast, sells itself as a place where flair isn’t a guilty pleasure but a job description. For a wide player whose game was built on control at speed, on improvisation and delivery, “attracted” frames style as identity, almost romance. He’s not rejecting a league; he’s rejecting a worldview.

“Staying in Spain was always my preference” is the clincher, and it’s aimed as much at the fans as at the clubs. Players rarely admit choices are about comfort and fit; they dress them up as destiny. Figo keeps it simple: Spain matches how he wants to be seen. Under the surface is a negotiation of legacy: he’s positioning himself as someone who chose the stage that best showcased him, not just the paycheck or the prestige.

It’s also a subtle power move. By praising Spain through contrast, he flatters the environment that made him, while reminding everyone he had options.

Quote Details

TopicSports
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Citation Formats

APA Style (7th ed.)
Figo, Luis. (2026, January 16). There was interest from clubs in Italy and England, I believe. But I've never been attracted by the way they play in Italy. Staying in Spain was always my preference. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-interest-from-clubs-in-italy-and-103829/

Chicago Style
Figo, Luis. "There was interest from clubs in Italy and England, I believe. But I've never been attracted by the way they play in Italy. Staying in Spain was always my preference." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-interest-from-clubs-in-italy-and-103829/.

MLA Style (9th ed.)
"There was interest from clubs in Italy and England, I believe. But I've never been attracted by the way they play in Italy. Staying in Spain was always my preference." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/there-was-interest-from-clubs-in-italy-and-103829/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.

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About the Author

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Luis Figo (born November 4, 1972) is a Athlete from Portugal.

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