Florentino Perez alleges campaign against him at Real Madrid, calls elections

Florentino Perez called early Real Madrid elections and ruled out resigning during a heated press conference. His attack on media criticism and silence on the manager's future deepened uncertainty around the club.

In Short

• Perez denied rumours about poor health and said he remains fit
• Madrid ended a second straight season without winning any major trophy
• Reports of dressing-room unrest included Valverde vs Tchouameni training scuffle

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez stunned Spanish football on Tuesday after calling early elections at the club while launching a fiery attack on the media and alleging that campaigns had been run against him personally. The dramatic press conference came amid growing chaos around Real Madrid following another trophyless season, dressing-room tensions and mounting speculation over the club’s future direction.

The emergency appearance immediately sparked rumours that Perez could resign from his position after weeks of growing pressure around the club. Instead, the 79-year-old opened the press conference by shutting down those claims in typical dramatic fashion.

“I’m sorry to tell you that I’m not going to resign,” Perez said.

The Real Madrid president then confirmed that he had asked the electoral board to begin the process of fresh elections, despite the club not needing to hold them for another three years.

“I have asked the electoral board to initiate the process to call elections, in which this current board and I are going to run again,” Perez added.

The explosive media interaction came at a time when Madrid’s season has spiralled badly.

For the second straight campaign, the Spanish giants have failed to win a major trophy. Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is already facing questions over his future barely months after replacing Xabi Alonso, while reports of dressing-room altercations between players have only added to the sense of instability around the club.

One recent training-ground incident reportedly even led to Federico Valverde requiring treatment after an altercation with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.

Perez, however, appeared more focused on attacking critics than discussing footballing problems.

PEREZ ALLEGES CAMPAIGNS RUN AGAINST HIM

Perez spent a large part of the press conference angrily dismissing rumours around his health, his future and what he described as coordinated campaigns against him.

“An absurd campaign has been created to attack me personally,” Perez said.

“They say ‘where is Florentino?’ I normally don’t speak. Then they say I’m sick and have terminal cancer. My health is perfect.”

The veteran president repeatedly lashed out at sections of the Spanish media and even directly confronted journalists present inside the room.

“They say I’m tired, that I’m old,” Perez continued.

“Why do they want to kill me? I was chosen the best president in history. We have the most valuable club in history. We have the most valuable squad in history.”

Perez also insisted that journalists would not influence Real Madrid’s decisions or force him out of office.

“I’m going to present myself to defend Madrid. Not because of some journalists who think they’re going to intimidate me.”

At one point, the press conference became visibly heated, with arguments breaking out between Perez and reporters in attendance as the Real Madrid chief continued his rant for more than 20 minutes.

He also directly called out Spanish outlet Relevo and journalist Ruben Canizares during the extraordinary exchange.

“Journalists like you create trouble for Real Madrid,” Perez said.

Despite the chaos around the club, Perez repeatedly highlighted the trophies won during his tenure and defended his leadership strongly.

“This year we haven’t been able to win anything. I’m the first one who wants to win it all,” he said.

“But we have won 37 football titles and 26 basketball titles.”

Perez has largely dominated Real Madrid elections for over a decade and has been elected unopposed in each of the club’s last four election cycles in 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025.

NO WORDS ON NEW REAL MADRID MANAGER

One of the biggest surprises from the press conference was that Perez completely avoided discussing the managerial situation at the club despite massive anticipation around the topic.

With pressure growing on Arbeloa after a disastrous season, many supporters expected Perez to address rumours surrounding potential replacements, especially ongoing speculation linking Jose Mourinho with a sensational return to Madrid.

But no such announcement came.

Perez did not reveal any details regarding the club’s managerial plans or whether Arbeloa would continue beyond the current season.

That silence has only fuelled speculation further.

Madrid’s struggles this year have gone beyond results alone. The team has often looked emotionally fractured on the pitch, while injuries, dressing-room tension and tactical inconsistency have repeatedly damaged the campaign.

And although Perez attempted to project confidence during Tuesday’s appearance, the overall atmosphere around Real Madrid continues to feel unusually unstable for a club that has long built its identity around dominance and control.

- Ends