Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has rejected speculation surrounding his future at the club after a dreadful season. Last evening, he called for an emergency press conference after a board meeting, where he announced plans to hold fresh elections to prove himself amid immense criticism.
"I'm sorry to say that I'm not going to resign. I'm going to call an election. I've asked the electoral committee to begin the process of organising elections for the board of directors, of which this Board of Directors will stand as candidates,” Perez said in the press conference.
Notably, Perez was re-elected unopposed in January 2025. However, lately, he feels that the Spanish media and people around the club are targeting him unnecessarily. He also blasted journalists in the press conference for running fake news against him, including the veteran being ‘tired’. The veteran administrator also targeted the Spanish media for ruining the image of the club and added that he doesn’t want to see them again in his life.
Meanwhile, the developments come days after Madrid’s 2-0 defeat to rivals FC Barcelona, which confirmed the LaLiga title for the Catalan side. It also marked a second straight campaign without silverware for Madrid, a drought the club had not experienced in 20 years. Perez acknowledged the disappointment surrounding results but insisted criticism directed at him had crossed the line into personal attacks.
"They are exploiting the situation to attack me personally. They ask, 'Where is Florentino?' when I don't usually speak out. Some have told me I have terminal cancer ... I'd like to take this opportunity to let the people who have been concerned about me know that I'm still presiding over Real Madrid and my company, that my health is perfect; I couldn't be in both places if my health weren't perfect,” he said.
"If I had cancer, as has been said, I'd have to go to a cancer centre; if I did go, wouldn't it have been all over the news worldwide?" Perez asked.
Perez called out the biggest scandal in world football, ft. Nigreira case
Perez additionally addressed the ongoing Negreira case involving Barcelona and former refereeing official Jose María Enriquez Negreira. He confirmed Madrid intends to submit documents related to the case to UEFA and also called it the biggest scandal in the history of football.
"Three years ago, we learned about a corruption case known as the Negreira Case. There are no precedents in the history of world football. It is the biggest scandal in history and a case that remains unresolved and ongoing,” Perez said.
Since then, Barcelona also released a statement, stating that they will evaluate Perez’s accusations and release a statement soon.
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