Florentino Pérez has stated that he will not relinquish his position as the president of Real Madrid. The 78-year-old Pérez was compelled to make this statement after a Spanish newspaper began reporting that he was considering stepping down due to internal disagreements within the club. “Florentino Pérez is the president of the club. He will remain in his position. He has no desire to abandon the club and its supporters in the middle of his term,” stated the press release issued on behalf of Pérez.
Pérez first became Real Madrid’s president in 2000. After winning the election again in 2004, he stepped down mid-term. He later returned to the presidency in 2009 unopposed. Since then, Pérez has remained as Real Madrid’s president without any challengers, while his club has become the wealthiest in the world. Under his leadership, Real Madrid has also won numerous trophies. The current internal disagreement stems from his desire to change the club’s management structure. Pérez wants to transform Real Madrid into a company. The purpose is to generate more revenue and to secure funds to repay the debt incurred from rebuilding the club’s stadium. However, some board members, including his brother who serves as vice president, support maintaining Real Madrid as a 100 percent member-owned club.
Nevertheless, Pérez believes that this would hinder the club’s ability to remain the most successful club permanently when compared to the operational models of other competitive clubs around the world.
