Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez’s controversial press conference on Tuesday drew sharp criticism from at least three of Spain’s top sports newspapers. Madrid-based Marca, running the headline “Disconcerted,” described the event as a “grotesque appearance.” In Catalonia, the tone was equally harsh: Sport called it “Grotesque Real,” while Mundo Deportivo labeled the press conference “Delirious.”
The press conference was called on short notice, giving Spanish journalists just two hours to reach Real Madrid’s headquarters. Many expected Pérez to discuss the team’s upcoming season after a trophyless campaign, or address disciplinary issues within the squad, such as the recent altercation between Tchouaméni and Valverde.
Instead, Pérez surprised attendees by stating that fights among players are common at the club, and that his main concern is leaked information. “I think this (fight) is very wrong. But worse is that it was made public. I’ve been here for 26 years, and in none of those years have two or four players not been involved in fights, but it stays within the club. Whoever brought this to light is doing so because they are unhappy and think they will be fired. They exchange punches and later become friends. The leak is worse, I think it’s worse. This isn’t the first time two players have fought. They fight every season because they are competitive. The difference here is that someone spoke about it for the first time, and we know who it was.”
The season ended as badly as possible: a defeat to rival Barcelona at Camp Nou last Sunday, which sealed the La Liga title for Barça. The previous week, a fight between Tchouaméni and Valverde, which left the Uruguayan with a concussion, drew attention. This was the latest in a series of conflicts that marked Real Madrid’s 2025/26 season.
“I’m not leaving”
During the press conference, Pérez was asked about football but declined to comment. He announced new elections for the club’s board of directors, insisted he would not resign, and emphasized that “the owners of Real Madrid are its members.”
“I have worked since the year 2000 to ensure that the club’s owners are its members, unlike what happens at other clubs. At Madrid there is no single owner. An absurd situation has been created, fueled by campaigns to generate a current of opinion against Madrid’s interests and, especially, against me. They have acted to try to remove me. But I’m not leaving. I will be the last member of Real Madrid to leave the club.”
Pérez also criticized the local press, claimed he was the victim of persecution, and stressed his full health, which he said had been questioned by journalists. He even argued with reporters present. “They say I don’t exist, that I’m sick. Some have even said I have terminal cancer. I take this opportunity to reassure those who worry about me. Every day I continue to preside over Real Madrid and also my company. My health is perfect. I need to come forward to stop all this because I cannot accept, as president of Madrid, that there are people in the media trying to take advantage because this year we didn’t win La Liga or the Champions League. It’s been less than two years since I won a La Liga and a Champions League, but that’s already forgotten. Now they say Madrid is a ruin, a chaos. How can it be chaos if it’s the most prestigious club in the world and that is recognized by everyone?”
La Liga runner-up, Pérez also made a point of recalling a scandal involving arch-rival Barcelona. He said he is preparing a dossier to send to UEFA regarding payments made by Barça to Spanish refereeing officials between 2011 and 2018. “Three years ago we discovered we were facing a corruption case unprecedented in world football history. It’s the biggest scandal in football history. It’s incomprehensible that we still see referees from that era officiating in a La Liga competition. We are preparing a significant dossier that we will immediately present to UEFA so that they tackle the problem at its root and resolve a case that is important for the good of world football, known as the Negreira Case.”