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Tough talk Barca candidate threatens Madrid over Figo
BARCELONA (Reuters) -- The Luis Figo transfer tale took another twist on Thursday as Barcelona presidential candidate Joan Gaspart threatened to report Real Madrid to FIFA for negotiating with a player whose contract is still in force. Gaspart, who is in the final stages of the election campaign, also threatened to administer Real Madrid some of their own medicine if they managed to make off with Figo. "If they want to enter into a transfer war we will respond. If they start interfering with players who are contracted to us we can do the same to them. But we'll have to see if they have broken the rules first." Gaspart added: "I still have faith in Figo. I have a strategy prepared that I'm not going to reveal, that will allow him to stay at Barcelona. But I am determined not to pay Real Madrid a single peseta for this to happen." Gaspart was apparently referring to the fact the contract the player's representative has signed with new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez contains an indemnity clause whereby if Figo does not join Real he will have to pay compensation of some 5,000 million pesetas (US$27.78 million). The saga began when the new Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claimed during the Real presidential elections that he sealed a deal to bring the Portuguese star to the Bernabeu if he won. Contrary to expectations, Perez won the election and has therefore demanded that the deal is honored. The saga is set to be finally resolved on Monday when the results of the Barcelona presidential elections will be known.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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