Figo heads into World Cup drained after first season at Inter Milan
First Published: May 18, 2006
Inter Milan's midfielder Luis Figo holds the trophy after winning the Italian Cup final football match Inter Milan-Roma at San Siro Stadium in Milan, on May 11. Figo says he is heading into the World Cup drained after a demanding season at Inter Milan but he believes he will fully recover before the tournament gets under way in Germany on June 9.
Veteran Portuguese midfielder Luis Figo says he is heading into the World Cup drained after a demanding season at Inter Milan but he believes he will fully recover before the tournament gets under way in Germany on June 9.
"The reality is that I ran a lot this year. At this moment I would have liked to be more fresh. But after a draining season it is normal that I am not physically the same as in January," he told reporters late Wednesday as the Portuguese squad gathered in Lisbon for a training camp.
"The important thing right now is to do my best during this training camp to prepare for the World Cup," the 33-year-old added.
Figo, the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2001, spent a total of 2,472 minutes on the pitch over 34 matches during his first season with Inter Milan.
He is Portugal's most capped player with 118 appearances since 1991 and is the squad's third-highest scorer with 31 goals.
Figo announced he was taking an indefinite break from international football in August 2004, just one month after he led hosts Portugal to the final of Euro 2004, where they lost 1-0 to Greece.
At the time he cited his heavy schedule with Spanish giants Real Madrid and disappointment with the results of Euro 2004 for the move.
But in May 2005, after he was relegated to the bench at Real Madrid, Figo came back to the Portuguese national team in time for World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Estonia.
Figo signed with Inter Milan in August 2005 for two seasons, ending his five-year association with Real Madrid.
Portugal are pooled with Mexico, Iran and Angola in World Cup Group D with their first match against debutants Angola in Cologne on June 11.
All Content is Copyright © 2006 WorldSoccerNews.com and AFP. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable. 2006