Florentino Perez lashed out at LaLiga president Javier Tebas, rival club Barcelona, Spain’s referees, and UEFA during a fiery address at Real Madrid‘s annual general meeting, while affirming the club’s determination to “win the upcoming battles” regarding the Super League.
Approximately 1500 representatives from Madrid’s 98,000 members attended the meeting on Sunday at the club’s Valdebebas training facility, where they approved the annual accounts and engaged the board with questions.
In an 80-minute address, Perez criticized the league’s unsuccessful attempt to stage a regular-season match in Miami, denounced recent changes in Spanish officiating as merely “cosmetic” in the aftermath of the Negreira case, and expressed his “increased conviction” of victory over UEFA in the Super League conflict.
Perez announced that an extraordinary meeting will be convened to vote on proposed “reforms to the club’s statutes to ensure Madrid is well-equipped to face challenges and compete on even terms.”
At the club’s 2024 AGM, Perez initially hinted at the necessity for a “corporate reorganization” to safeguard Madrid’s assets amid ongoing disputes with LaLiga over the CVC investment deal and television revenue.
“We will call for a referendum so that all members can vote,” Perez stated on Sunday. “The sole objective is to shield the club from threats to our assets… I will propose that we are recognized as the true owners of the club.
“Real Madrid will remain a members’ club, but we would establish a subsidiary owned by the members. We will allow a 5% stake for an investor, provided they are willing to make a significant contribution in exchange for a symbolic holding. Those investors must always respect our values.”
Perez did not specify when this meeting would take place.
In recent years, Perez has steered the club through several conflicts with football’s governing bodies concerning the future of the sport.
“I heard someone say that Real Madrid opposes everything, but that is simply not true,” Perez remarked on Sunday. “There are countless issues that require our response.”
“Real Madrid must take the lead in this fight. We are the only sporting club with the institutional strength and resources to confront this challenge… We have nothing to fear from these executives, whether in Spain or Europe.”
“They cannot pressure us with threats of sanctions. Sadly, that is not the situation for many clubs. Not many have the courage to speak up… But we are not alone.”
Previously, Perez had adopted a more cautious approach in his criticism of Barcelona in relation to the Negreira case, given the ongoing legal proceedings. However, Barça’s harmonization with LaLiga and withdrawal from the Super League project prompted a shift in his tone.
“It is not normal for Barcelona to have paid over €8 million to the vice-president of referees [Negreira] over 17 years,” Perez stated. “That coincided with the peak of Barcelona’s success.”
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Last month, Madrid announced plans to seek compensation from UEFA for its blockade of the Super League, following rulings from the European Court of Justice and a Madrid court that found UEFA in violation of EU competition law.
“We still maintain that [the Super League] is a vital project for football,” Perez asserted. “With the landmark ruling from the European court, along with two additional decisions from a Madrid court, the context has changed dramatically.
“We have had our right to establish our own competitions acknowledged. We can also pursue substantial damages for UEFA’s actions. We hold two rights: to seek compensation for our losses and to organize a competition in the future, and we will relentlessly pursue both.”
Perez noted that negotiators had worked “tirelessly in recent months” to find a compromise with UEFA but had not succeeded in reaching an agreement.