The former Portugal international infuriated the Blaugrana supporters when he elected to swap the Catalans for their arch-rivals for a then world-record fee of €62 million, culminating in one fan hurling a severed pig's head in his direction on his return to Catalunya in 2002.
Despite the sensitivity of such a transfer, though, the 40-year-old says that the decision to leave was straight-forward due to the belief that he was under-appreciated at Camp Nou.
Speaking to Grada360, Figo said: At that moment when at Barca, I was not satisfied with how I was valued, I had the opportunity and did not think twice.
I did not always feel valued for what I had given to the club. For so much time I gave everything that I could and in the end my desire to leave became a reality.
It is so in any profession, if your boss does not appreciate you and if you have another opportunity certainly you will consider it. And that was so.
Saturday will see the first Clasico of the current campaign take place in Catalunya, with Barcelona knowing victory would establish a six-point margin between their bitter rivals.
