Nothing is going well at Real Madrid. Already plunged into a sporting and institutional crisis after a nightmarish season, the Madrid club experienced a totally unreal sequence this Monday with Florentino Pérez’s explosive press conference. Expected to answer questions around the future of the club, its sporting project or even the internal tensions that have emerged in recent weeks, the Merengue president finally delivered a mind-blowing intervention lasting almost two hours, transformed into a giant settling of scores against the Spanish press, its detractors… and even certain members of society.
Very upset from the first minutes, Florentino Pérez immediately announced that he absolutely would not leave his post despite the storm experienced by Real Madrid. “I regret to tell you that I am not going to resign”he first said ironically, before revealing the calling of new presidential elections. An announcement which quickly transformed into a frontal challenge addressed to all its opponents: “Let them stop threatening and come forward. Why is no one running against me? They must be afraid of me. Florentino will not leave until the socios want him to. You’ll have to shoot me to get rid of me.” Extremely strong words, delivered in an electric atmosphere, where the Madrid president seemed determined to settle scores with all of Spanish football.
Spanish journalists strike back
Throughout his speech, Florentino Pérez made several resounding declarations. Referring to the numerous criticisms aimed at Real Madrid in recent months, he denounced “an absurd campaign” intended for “destroy the club” and to “take over Real Madrid”. “Journalists think they are all-powerful. They think people believe everything they say, but people believe me.”he said, before attacking several Spanish media figures by name. The Madrid boss notably attacked the daily ABCthe Vocento group, Juanma Castaño, Santi Segurola and even Relevo, accused of seeking daily to “harm Real Madrid”. In another lunar sequence, Florentino Pérez even joked about the rumors surrounding his health: “I was told I had terminal cancer… If it was true, do you think it wouldn’t have come out all over the world?” But above all, this extraordinary press conference triggered a wave of extremely violent reactions throughout Spain. Even the media traditionally close to Real Madrid showed their amazement at the departure of the Madrid president. On the side ofA.S.the tone is scathing. The Madrid daily insists on the climate of permanent challenge established by Florentino Pérez and recalls that the members of Real Madrid have not really chosen their president since… 2006. Since this date, Florentino Pérez has systematically been re-elected without opposition in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025. A.S. also underlines the almost inaccessible nature of the Madrid electoral process: any candidate must raise a colossal financial guarantee of nearly 187 million euros in just a few days. A way, according to several Spanish observers, of completely locking in power within the Madrid club. The most spectacular charge, however, came from MARCA.
The Madrid daily describes a Florentino Pérez “more irritated and combative than ever”overwhelmed by events and unable to control a press conference “which totally escaped him”. MARCA returns at length to the repeated personal attacks of the Madrid president against several journalists present in the room, but also to his remarks considered contemptuous and aggressive. “I am going to cancel my ABC subscription in honor of my father”notably released Florentino Pérez, before criticizing articles “written by a woman who perhaps knows nothing about football”. An exit which immediately caused enormous unease in Spain. On the side of SPORTthe observation is even more brutal. The Catalan media is talking about a press conference “grotesque” led by a Florentino Pérez “arrogant, provocative, contemptuous and incapable of the slightest self-criticism”. SPORT even compares certain sequences of his intervention “at the worst moments of certain political leaders obsessed with their enemies”. The newspaper above all criticizes the Madrid president for not having addressed any major sporting subject despite the crisis experienced by Real Madrid: not a word on the future of the team, on the management choices or on the tensions in the locker room. Instead, Florentino Pérez would have preferred “fighting your critics rather than taking responsibility”. Several major media voices in the country also destroyed this release. On the COPEManolo Lama did not mince his words: “Florentino Pérez’s press conference is pathetic.” Before adding: “By watching this conference, we understand much better what is currently happening at Real Madrid.” A sentence which perfectly sums up the general feeling in Spain after this already historic sequence.
