On a typically quiet Tuesday afternoon in Madrid, Real Madrid unexpectedly announced that President Florentino Perez would hold a press conference at the club’s sports city, immediately triggering widespread shock and speculation. Given the recent internal turmoil at the club, rumors ran rampant. Some believed Perez would appoint a new coach, such as Jose Mourinho; others speculated he might follow a path from 20 years ago by stepping down amid the instability, or even retiring altogether. There were also suggestions that the president would not announce any major decisions, but instead explain recent controversies to the media and clarify who bears responsibility for Real Madrid’s trophyless seasons.
Denies Resignation Rumors and Clashes with Reporters On-Site
The press conference was originally scheduled for 6 PM local time. Journalists packed the room early, with cameras ready, awaiting what was billed as a major announcement. Around 6:20 PM, Perez entered alongside his press officer. His opening words immediately dismissed rumors of resignation: “I regret to inform everyone that I will not resign. I have asked the Electoral Commission to initiate board elections, and we will stand in those elections.”
He added that his decision was driven by personal attacks from outside: “In sports, you cannot always win. But they have used this situation to attack me personally. Some have even fabricated lies that I have a terminal illness. I take this opportunity to tell those who care about me: my health is perfect, and I remain president of Real Madrid.” He emphasized that the club does not belong to him alone, stating, “The club is owned by 1,000 members. I made this decision because of the absurd situation caused by defamation against the club and me personally.”
Before the press conference, Spanish newspaper ABC had reported that Perez expressed being “very tired” during a board meeting, fueling speculation about his resignation. At the conference, Perez directly confronted that paper’s reporter, also criticizing the Spanish media: “That newspaper, which ‘loves me very much,’ wrote that I am ‘very tired.’ Do you think I would say such a thing at a time like this? Are you here, that reporter? I want to greet you and ask why you published such nonsense. I wake up early and work late every day. I understand the frustration because we won nothing this season, but I have to tell you: during my tenure, we have won 66 football and basketball titles, including seven Champions Leagues. I cannot tolerate a media narrative that tries to dominate me. I must step in to stop it. Less than two years ago we won La Liga and the Champions League, and now you claim Real Madrid is in ruins and chaos. How can you say that?”
Perez then engaged in a heated exchange with the ABC journalist: “Look at your two articles today—written by someone who knows nothing about football.” He also recalled his first presidential campaign in 2000: “If anyone wants to run for president of Real Madrid, stop bluffing and just come forward. Let them provide financial guarantees like I did in 2000. I guaranteed over 170 million pesetas to pay the wages of Roberto Carlos or Illgner. I need to end the anti-Real Madrid wave and defend the interests of our members.”
During the Q&A session, Perez continued targeting local media: “I see what the media is doing. We are the best football club in the world. Why must I endure them saying Real Madrid is in chaos? Anyone who wants to run should step up. I have enough money to be club president; I don’t need any tricks.”
Throughout the press conference, Perez was extremely agitated. He relentlessly criticized the media, visibly impatient with journalists, frequently interrupting their questions to answer first. The press officer tried to end the conference, but Perez signaled to continue. He finally concluded after releasing all his pent-up frustrations.
La Liga and Barcelona Under Fire
During the conference, Perez did not discuss Real Madrid’s recent sporting performance or future personnel changes or transfer plans. When asked about the widely rumored appointment of Mourinho as coach, he cut off the journalist: “Today we are not talking about sports. Our focus now is to ensure Real Madrid truly belongs to its members. I need to defend myself and the club. We are not discussing football today; there are more urgent matters to address.”
When questioned about the team’s poor season and dressing-room conflicts, Perez said: “I have previously had a season where I sacked three coaches. That is not the first time. Players fight—they fight every season because they are competitive. The difference this time is that someone spoke publicly about it, and we know who that is.” He again emphasized his achievements: “No one has won seven Champions League titles during their tenure.”
Unsurprisingly, Perez also brought up Barcelona’s Negreira case: “Three years ago we learned about the Negreira case, the biggest scandal in history. We will submit a detailed file to UEFA so they can address it fundamentally and resolve it in the interest of world football.” He added: “Real Madrid members will stand with me to fight the Negreira case. The idea that Barcelona would pay the referees’ chief for 20 consecutive years is unthinkable. We have been following this since then. We could have won 14 La Liga titles, but we only have seven. The others were stolen from us. How can I not intervene in this? It’s a corruption case that has lasted years, and the same referees are still involved. This season we made a video showing 18 points they took from us. If anyone watches Real Madrid TV, they can see it.”
Perez also said: “Our biggest enemy has always been La Liga.” The strained relationship between Real Madrid and La Liga is well known, not just because of the European Super League, but also due to ongoing disagreements over broadcast revenue distribution and overseas matches. Real Madrid was the only La Liga club that did not participate in the league’s ‘Vintage Match Day’ promotion this season. Perez even took a subtle dig at city rivals Atletico Madrid: “Thank goodness Real Madrid belongs to its members, not a few journalists—I suspect they are all Atletico fans. As I promised, I will return club assets to the members, unlike those club presidents who take over and then sell the club for personal gain.” This remark clearly referenced Atletico, after US-based Apollo Fund recently acquired a majority stake in the club.
‘Trump-Style’ Speech Ignites Fury
“Thank you all for coming. I will be back here—not for myself, but for all members. If the anti-Real Madrid voices continue to interfere, I will come here and express my thoughts to defend Real Madrid’s members. Florentino Perez will not leave unless the members want me to go.” Perez concluded the conference with these words, leaving many media figures who had been criticized in the room.
The Spanish media had no positive words for Perez. Marca wrote in an editorial: “Perez’s appearance this time is truly hard to accept. He is neurotic, manic, stubborn, and repeats himself constantly—a narcissist. He repeated the same topics six or seven times and engaged in pointless arguments with colleagues. His view of the media is consistent: he resents media outlets that he cannot control and are growing in number. His speech was full of half-truths; he never mentioned his plan to sell 49% of the club. And when he cooperated with Barcelona over the European Super League, he said nothing about the Negreira case. This was a typical Trump-style speech, delivered with Biden-like energy.”
Jose Felix Diaz, Real Madrid correspondent for AS, wrote in a column: “Around 4 PM, Perez suddenly announced a press conference. For the next two hours, all media speculated about what he would say after the board meeting. Given the extraordinary circumstances, people expected the president to deeply analyze why the team performed so poorly this season. But that was not the case. What could have been a critique of the first team’s season turned into an attack on certain media. Perez tried to blame the media for this season’s problems. He believes now is not the right time to discuss sporting matters. But putting aside his battle with the press, what Real Madrid fans really want to know is the future direction of the first team. Members know that under current structures
