Real Madrid president Florentino Perez announced on Wednesday that he will not resign but will call for club presidential elections. Speaking at a press conference, the 78-year-old addressed the club’s turbulent season and dismissed rumors about his health.
Real Madrid have endured a disappointing campaign, losing the Spanish Super Cup final to Barcelona, being eliminated by Albacete in the Copa del Rey round of 32, and suffering a double defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals. In La Liga, Barcelona clinched the title with three games to spare after beating Real Madrid in El Clasico.
The team’s internal issues have been even more concerning. After a series of coaching changes, the dressing room has spiraled out of control. Six players, including Dani Carvajal and Dani Ceballos, clashed with former teammate Alvaro Arbeloa. In a separate incident, Aurelien Tchouameni and Federico Valverde reportedly scuffled in the locker room, leaving Valverde with a facial injury that required him to leave the stadium in a wheelchair for medical treatment.
Before the press conference, which started at 6:00 PM local time, Perez held a board meeting at 5:40 PM to inform directors of his intended announcement. Spanish newspaper Marca noted that the sudden press conference sparked widespread speculation, as Perez rarely addresses the media so urgently.
During the conference, Perez stated: “Thank you all for coming. I am sorry to tell you that I will not resign. I will hold elections. A very absurd situation has been created against Real Madrid and myself. We don’t always win, and they have used this to attack me. Some have even said I am ill, suffering from terminal cancer. I still run the club and my company, which generates €50 billion in annual revenue. My health is excellent. If I had cancer, I would be in the hospital. It’s not true, but such rumors keep circulating.”
