MADRID (AP) 鈥� An edgy Real Madrid president Florentino P茅rez confronted journalists in a rare news conference on Tuesday and claimed he was the victim of an 鈥渙rganized campaign鈥� to unseat him.
P茅rez called for new club elections and told his opponents to present themselves and challenge him and his board of directors.
鈥淚 want to talk about all those I believe are behind this campaign … some people are moving in the shadows to run for elections. Well, let them run,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is the opportunity I am giving them.鈥�
Usually calm and soft-spoken, P茅rez appeared agitated and got into discussions with the media during the hastily scheduled news conference at the club鈥檚 training center, two days after and saw its Catalan rival clinch its second straight Spanish league title.
鈥淚 made this decision because of this absurd situation of campaigns against the interests of Real Madrid and especially against me,鈥� the 79-year-old P茅rez said. 鈥淭he results haven鈥檛 been the greatest, but that has happened other times before. But they are taking advantage to attack me.鈥�
He said the campaign against him was being 鈥渙rchestrated by bad journalists and non journalists,鈥� and named a few newspapers and journalists.
鈥淪ome journalists and people want to destroy Real Madrid,鈥� he said. 鈥淚’ll always defend the interest of the Madrid members.鈥�
The president spoke after a meeting of the club鈥檚 board of directors.
Madrid has endured a second consecutive season without a major trophy, despite having in the squad.
P茅rez did not speak in detail about the team’s results, saying his appearance was solely to defend Madrid club members from attacks. He did not want to talk about a potential coaching change when asked about the possibility of Jos茅 Mourinho returning next season.
鈥淚 share the frustration that this year we haven鈥檛 been able to win anything,” he said. 鈥淚 am the first to want to win everything. Let me remind you that, under my presidency, we have won 66 titles in soccer and basketball: 37 in soccer and 29 in basketball.鈥�
P茅rez said the leak of the fighting between players during training last week 鈥� which led to Federico Valverde and Aur茅lien Tchouam茅ni being fined ($586,000) each 鈥� was worse than the actual fight itself.
鈥淚t’s not the first time that players fight with each other,鈥� P茅rez said. 鈥淚t happens almost every season. But someone leaked it for the first time. And we know who it was. It should have stayed within the club.鈥� He gave no further details.
Not tired, not sick
P茅rez dismissed rumors that he was tired of the job, or sick, saying they had been spread by his detractors.
鈥淭hey said I have cancer and that it was terminal,” he said. 鈥淚t was the most undignified thing that has ever happened to me. They said I didn’t go out, that I couldn’t walk.鈥�
P茅rez is a highly successful businessman from the construction sector who is in his seventh term in two different stints as Madrid president. His current term would end in 2029.
鈥淚 want to assure those who are concerned about me that I continue to preside over Real Madrid and my company every single day,鈥� he said.
P茅rez spoke for more than an hour while answering questions.
鈥淚 could stay here all afternoon,鈥� he said at the end. 鈥淚 had a really good time.鈥�
Negreira
P茅rez said he will take 鈥渁n important dossier鈥� to UEFA about rival Barcelona and its payments of millions of euros to a company that belonged to Jos茅 Mar铆a Enr铆quez Negreira, the former vice president of Spanish soccer鈥檚 refereeing committee.
Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, saying it paid for technical reports on referees but never tried to influence their decisions in games. Negreira has also denied any wrongdoing.
鈥淭hree years ago, we learned about a corruption case known as the Negreira Case,鈥� P茅rez said. 鈥淭here are no precedents in the history of world soccer. It is the biggest scandal in history and a case that remains unresolved and ongoing.
鈥淲e are compiling an important dossier that we will immediately present to UEFA so they can address it at its root and resolve it for the good of world soccer.鈥�
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