Luis Enrique has recalled one of the most tense and emotional evenings in the history of "El Clasico", that of October 21, 2000, when Luis Figo returned to the "Camp Nou" for the first time in a Real Madrid shirt, just a few months after leaving Barcelona.
The Portuguese's transfer to their arch-rivals had caused great anger among Catalan fans, while the atmosphere in the stadium that evening was extraordinary. Luis Enrique, who was part of Barcelona at the time, remembers that challenge as one of the most special matches of his career.
"The match with the most incredible atmosphere I experienced as a player at the Camp Nou was the day Figo returned. I played there for eight years, but that day was special," Enrique confessed in the documentary Camp Nou.
Figo had been one of Barcelona's most important players before his transfer to Real Madrid in the summer of 2000, making his return to Catalonia even more tense.
"Figo was like a brother to us. He was our best player and he left for Madrid," recalled Enrique, who currently manages Paris Saint-Germain.
The former Spanish footballer revealed that the atmosphere at the Camp Nou was extraordinary long before kick-off. "Usually the Camp Nou is half empty half an hour before the game. But that day, 45 minutes before kick-off it was completely full. We were warming up and we couldn't hear each other," he said.
At that moment, Enrique had told his teammates that Barcelona could not lose that match. "It doesn't matter who plays in the Barcelona shirt, it's impossible for us to lose. There was an energy that was almost scary," he confessed.
And his prediction came true. Barcelona triumphed 2-0, with one of the goals scored by Luis Enrique.
He also recalled the confrontation between Figo and a very young Carles Puyol. "I remember Figo being marked by Puyi, a very young Puyi, but a beast. Figo was the best player at Real Madrid, despite the pressure I had never imagined. We won the game because it was impossible not to," Enrique declared.
Despite the historic rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid, the Spanish coach considers this clash as essential for both clubs. "What would Real Madrid be without Barcelona and Barcelona without Real Madrid? They need each other," he said.
Meanwhile, despite having written important pages in Barcelona's history as a player and coach, Enrique has ruled out a possible return to the Catalan club's bench. Asked if he would manage Barcelona again, his answer was short: "Honestly? No."
