The silence from the presidential box speaks volumes. Florentino Pérez, the sovereign ruler of Real Madrid, has transformed the club into the richest in world football and one of the most decorated, alongside the legacy of Santiago Bernabéu. His management, from a seat inaccessible to mere mortals, leaves no one indifferent: the majority of Madridistas are devoted to “His Highness” out of both devotion and fear.
In times of crisis, such as the current one following a Super Cup defeat and a Copa del Rey elimination against a Segunda División side in just four days, his detractors emerge to strike. Some have finally seen the light and, instead of pointing fingers at the pitch or the bench, dare to direct their accusatory gaze toward the box. Is this the beginning of his end?
**The Real Madrid of Florentino Crumples: A Dressing Room of Pampered Egos**
Vinicius Jr. has been one of the most favored players under Florentino Pérez. The president’s policy has consistently prioritized economic stability over sporting success. The club’s health depends on clean accounts, and the best way to sell the brand is through its stars. They attract investors and sponsors, and Pérez ensures these players remain golden mines. To do this, he makes them untouchable in the dressing room, undermining any authority the coach may have.
This is why he needs two types of coaches: one who handles them paternally, like Carlo Ancelotti (once nicknamed “Papa Carletto”), or one who becomes a “buddy” through personality and ideas, like Mourinho, or one who takes refuge in his legendary status, like Zidane. He does not tolerate coaches who impose tactical discipline that might inconvenience the star player’s comfort zone. Xabi Alonso was one such case, as were Rafa Benítez and Julen Lopetegui.
Coaches do not have Florentino’s backing to implement their footballing ideas. Several managers who have passed through that dressing room have complained that benching certain players marked the beginning of their end, including Ancelotti in his first spell. Others, like Xabi Alonso, were not even given the benefit of the doubt; the president fired him for failing to please stars like Vinícius and Bellingham, who sidelined him with the support of other teammates.
This excessive pampering has led the current Real Madrid to a state of complacency. These stars stopped listening to the Italian’s instructions last season, ending his tenure after four years of success. It didn’t matter that he was the most decorated coach in Real Madrid’s history. The same happened to Zidane, who left tired of handling so many egos.
**18 Months of Sporting Crisis**
Barcelona has beaten Florentino’s Madrid in five of the last six Clásicos. Pro-Madrid media have been slow to admit that Real Madrid has not played well for 18 months. Each negative result, or each of the seven titles lost since early 2025, was treated as an “unexpected crisis” but one that could be fixed given the “unbeatable” squad. The defeat against Albacete has finally convinced them that “the club has hit rock bottom and is in crisis.”
The preferred narrative has been to compare this Madrid’s struggles by saying, “If Madrid is like this, imagine how the others must be,” except for Barcelona, who have been flying higher than anyone. After losing the Super Cup on Sunday, the story was spun one way. But now, the cracks are showing, and the focus has shifted squarely onto Florentino Pérez.
