Portuguese fear Figo hate mob

The Portuguese football federation have requested extra police protection for midfielder Luis Figo ahead of their World Cup qualifier against Andorra on Saturday. The match takes place just 100km from Barcelona, where Figo remains a hate figure.

The attacking star, who quit Barca for arch-rivals Real Madrid in summer 2000, is likely to have an armed guard when he arrives for the match in Lerida, Catalonia.

And Andorra boss David Rodrigo hopes the atmosphere will spook his opponents' most dangerous player. "I hope many Catalans come and get on Figo's nerves. It's not good to play with the crowd against you," he said.

"Maybe then we could disguise some of our physical and technical deficiencies.

Portugal are without the injured Manuel Rui Costa and suspended Fernando Couto, meaning extra pressure is being heaped on Figo.

But he said: "All of us share the responsibility to decide these games. It's a lot easier to play good football when all the team is involved than when one or two players alone want to do everything.

"The most important thing is to get into a winning position, then we will try to score some goals. We might need them, depending on the results of Ireland and Holland."

Coach Antonio Oliveira has called for concentration and discipline. "This is a decisive moment, we have to be focused against Andorra," he said.

"We know that they aren't at our level, which can create some relaxation in us. That cannot happen. We mustn't underestimate our opponents. We know that we are better, but sometimes we complicate what is easy."

Andorra miss the suspended Ildefonso Lima and Barnaus, but Rodrigo knows that every game is difficult for his team against such exalted sides.

"Portugal will want us to play openly, trying to attack," he said. "But in football you should do the opposite of what your adversary wants, so we will play very defensively with a packed midfield.

"It would be foolish to play as equals against Portugal. They have a 97 per cent chance of winning. It's not only Figo, they have Pauleta, Nuno Gomes, Capucho and the rest."