“I could stay here all afternoon because I’m having a great time. Come on, that girl has the right to speak, because all of you are very ugly”. The remark was one of several outbursts by Florentino Pérez in a press conference that was meant to explain the institutional future of Real Madrid but ended up becoming a combative, personal and self-justifying intervention against media outlets and journalists, with little room for self-criticism and a tone difficult to reconcile with the president of one of the biggest clubs in sporting history.
The Real Madrid president appeared at Valdebebas with an opening statement that already set the tone for the afternoon: “I regret to tell you that I am not going to resign”. From there, he announced elections, defended his management and turned an institutional press conference into an accumulated response to journalists, media organisations, rivals, internal critics and alleged campaigns against the club.
Florentino Pérez rarely appears in public, and when he does, he tends to be clear, direct, highly prepared and open to few questions. This time, the president of Real Madrid, who is also the chairman of ACS and one of the most influential business figures in Spain, surprised observers with a less professional and more jocular tone, marked by misplaced jokes, dismissive comments, interruptions and an attitude closer to personal release than institutional representation.
The press as an enemy and the language of conspiracy
One of the most striking sections concerned his relationship with the media. The president clashed with a journalist from ‘ABC’, announced that he was cancelling his subscription to the newspaper and pointed to several professionals and outlets as part of a hostile climate towards Real Madrid. “I have decided that I am going to cancel my subscription to ‘ABC’ to honour my father”, he said, in an argument that felt out of place and took an unexpected turn.
The problem was not that he defended Real Madrid from reports he considers unfair, but the way he presented part of journalism as an organised power against both him and the institution. “There is a conspiracy of journalists who think they run Madrid”, he said, among many other remarks against the press. He later added: “I do not want them kissing me all day, but this conspiracy involving some from ‘SER’, others from ‘COPE’… No, not that anymore”, before going on to mention several Spanish journalists.
Elections, members and an internal democracy with very high barriers
The election call was another central point. Florentino Pérez asked those who criticise him to stand for election, but did so from a position hardly comparable with that of any potential challenger. “Whoever wants to stand, should stand”, he said. He also added: “I want all those people who hint that they will stand and then do not stand to run”. The call to the ballot box therefore works as a democratic display, but also as a way of reaffirming a power structure that is almost protected by very demanding statutory requirements: candidates must have been club members for at least 20 years, be Spanish nationals, provide a guarantee worth 15% of the club’s budget, around €187 million, and formalise their candidacy within a very short timeframe.
“If they want to get rid of the president, that is nonsense. They will have to carry me out by force, because I have the support of all the members”, he said. He later added: “That man who talks to the electricity companies and has a South American accent should stand. Mexican accent, sorry”. The person referred to was Enrique Riquelme, an Alicante businessman and executive chairman of Cox, who has been identified as a possible presidential candidate. The reference to his accent was unnecessary and continued a tone unsuited to a president who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the club and its members.
No self-criticism and the jabs at Atlético Madrid and Barcelona
Florentino Pérez again leaned on the defence of the member-owned club model: “I want to hand the club’s assets over to the members. The members vote for me, not the ultras”, he said in a notably inelegant way. The line connects with an argument he has used for some time: Real Madrid must protect itself from external powers, investors and operations that could alter its ownership. However, that discourse contrasts with the highly restrictive requirements needed to stand in the club’s presidential elections. That defence of the membership model also came with jabs at Atlético Madrid. “Why do they not go after Atlético Madrid?”, he asked at another point. He then criticised clubs that, according to his argument, “took over the assets” and “have now sold them and got rich”. It was a poor defence of Real Madrid, turning the argument into a reproach aimed at rivals.
Florentino Pérez also turned to Barcelona and the Negreira case as part of his grievance narrative. The matter is serious and directly affects the credibility of Spanish football, but its use in the press conference again moved away from institutional discourse: “I did not come here for referees to get rich with Barcelona’s money. I came here to fight”, he said about the case. “I have only won seven European Cups and seven league titles, which could have been 14, but they were stolen from me. We have made a video of the 18 points they have taken away from us this season”, he added. There was no room for self-criticism over the season, sporting planning or internal management. The explanation for a trophyless year was shifted towards referees, rivals, journalists and a permanent narrative of grievance.
The reputational cost for Florentino Pérez and Real Madrid
Florentino Pérez defended his role in removing ultras from the club, spoke of internal enemies, read messages and tweets from his mobile phone and repeatedly referred to his own historical status. “I am embarrassed to say that I have been chosen as the best president in the history of football, but it has happened”, he said on several occasions, in an intervention where the defence of the institution was often blurred with the defence of his own figure.
The press conference continued even after the club’s press officer tried to bring it to an end. Florentino Pérez wanted to prolong it, gave the floor back to journalists, pointed to media outlets and rivals, praised his own management and turned an election announcement into an intervention dominated by anger. “I am going to finish off all the bad guys. I am not going to stop”, he said. How much does that spectacle affect Florentino Pérez, and how much does it end up affecting Real Madrid too?
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