With just one week remaining before Real Madrid’s presidential elections, Florentino Pérez has delivered another forceful public statement.
In an interview with La Razón, the longtime Real Madrid president directly addressed challenger Enrique Riquelme, defended his record, rejected accusations from the opposition, and reiterated his commitment to preserving member ownership of the club.
Pérez Attacks Opposition
”Their proposals (Enrique Riquelme) are disastrous. They lie. They’ve come for Real Madrid. Nothing more.
“Now I cannot allow the same people from that sinister era to take over the club again. They are the same people: the sons, the friends, the brothers. It is a movement to seize control of Real Madrid, to keep it for themselves.”
Confidence in Madrid’s Ability to Attract Superstars
“Does anyone really believe that the best players in the world won’t play with me? Do you think so? No. If I do the math, all the best in the world are here. Not like those guys who go around saying they’re going to bring in so-and-so, and then their agent calls and tells me it’s a lie. I don’t have to say those things, because my track record speaks for itself.”
Defending a Historic Era of Success
“We’ve won 15 European Cups with many different coaches. The coach has to identify with the Real Madrid culture. If you have the best players and a coach who knows how to play each one, success follows. We’ve won six Champions Leagues in ten years. And now they’re saying everything is terrible. It’s unheard of.”
Protecting Member Ownership
”They’re lying. Real Madrid will always belong to its members. I’ve put my personal wealth on the line, at the risk of losing it all, to save Real Madrid. I will die so that Real Madrid and its assets remain with the members.
”I want that wealth—not just the sentimental kind, but also the real, the financial kind—to belong to the members. And when they die, I want their children or grandchildren to inherit it.
“What they really want is to bring in many more members so that the club starts to lose value and becomes worthless.”
Club World Cup and the Injury Crisis
“The Club World Cup killed us. Three or four months later, we had 28 injured players in the first team. I’ve never experienced anything like it in my life as president of Real Madrid.”
