Pig heads and dead rats: How Sydney FC fans plan to welcome Ninkovic

When Luis Figo made arguably the most controversial transfer in the history of football, switching from Barcelona to Real Madrid in July 2000, he became an instant pariah.

The world’s best player at the time, Figo was a revered figure at Barca, where he spent five seasons and won two La Liga titles. When rumours began circulating he could leave for Madrid, their most bitter rivals, he denied it and publicly affirmed his love for the Blaugrana shirt.

Luis Figo’s move from Barcelona to Real Madrid is regarded as the most controversial in the history of the game.Credit:Getty

It seemed impossible. Then it happened, and everything changed. Figo was branded a traitor, a mercenary – and more than two decades later, he remains persona non grata in Barcelona.

The hate reached fever pitch a couple of years into his tenure at Madrid during an El Clasico at the Camp Nou. Figo was pelted with beer cans, cigarette lighters, coins, empty bottles, golf balls – anything fans could get their hands on. As he attempted to take a corner, there were so many missiles raining down upon him that the referee had to stop play for 20 minutes.

During that stoppage, cameras picked up what would become the defining image of the rivalry: a severed pig’s head.

It appears Sydney FC fans have designs on providing the same sort of reception to their former hero, Milos Ninkovic, who joined Western Sydney Wanderers – the closest equivalent to Figo’s act of betrayal the A-League has seen – after falling out with coach Steve Corica in the off-season.

Milos Ninkovic will cross paths with Sydney FC fans for the first time since his defection to the Wanderers in Saturday night’s derby at Allianz Stadium.Credit:Getty

Saturday’s Sydney derby at Allianz Stadium, which is on track for a near-capacity crowd, will be the first time since his departure that Ninkovic will have crossed paths with his old team and the supporters who sang his name across seven trophy-laden years.

The mutual loathing that once characterised this fixture has faded in recent years but, thanks to Ninkovic, it’s back with a vengeance.

The Sky Blues have stoked the fire early, encouraging fans to bring their old jerseys with Ninkovic’s name and number to donate to underprivileged youth via charity Football United – in exchange for a bag of lollies, in a cheeky nod to Sydney’s new No.10 Joe Lolley, and a $10 merchandise voucher.

The Cove, Sydney’s main active support group, is planning to unveil a special tifo to communicate their feelings to Ninkovic, who accused the club and Corica of a lack of respect during failed negotiations over a new contract, and who former teammate Alex Brosque says has squandered his Sky Blues legacy. The 37-year-old Serbian ex-international will be mercilessly booed every time he touches the ball.

But some fans – perhaps inspired by the new Netflix documentary The Figo Affair, which explores the Portuguese midfielder’s move in granular detail – want to take things further. Or they would, at least, if they were allowed to.

“You have to write to the club if you want to bring something that may not get past security,” Sydney FC chief executive Adam Santo said.

“So they’ve asked to bring in a pig’s head, they’ve asked to bring in dead rats. There’s been a number of banners, both with text and images, that have been sent to us.

“Some of it can pass muster – some of that stuff I’ve just mentioned obviously won’t. But they’re the kind of things we’ve been hearing about, and I’m sure security will have to be ready on the gates to find other stuff that that people may not have approached us about bringing in.”

While Santo is eager for Sydney supporters to keep their worst instincts in check on Saturday – and officials and police at the new stadium will be working overtime to make sure of that – Ninkovic’s defection sets up what will surely be one of the best derbies in recent memory.

“You’ve had someone so adored by the club suddenly go to the absolute rivals. I think people want to get into that stadium and tell him that they’re disappointed, not happy, that he chose to go to our rivals,” Santo said. “The atmosphere will be intense, it’ll be electric, but there’s always a line – so it’s about making sure we stay the right side of that line.”

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