Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, used his speech at the Assembly of Representative Members to launch a direct and unabashed attack against UEFA and LaLiga. With an energetic tone, the Real Madrid leader reiterated that the club feels compelled to react to practices it considers “abnormal” and even illegal.
The first jab was directed at UEFA, criticizing the attempt to prevent clubs from organizing their own tournaments and the design of competition formats that “harm the fans.” He also pointed out the pressure to play matches in Asia, near China, because the organization’s executives “owe it to their voters.”
It is not normal for UEFA to try to direct our destiny and play competition formats that harm the fans. But keep in mind that their executives owe it to their voters. That’s why we are forced to play matches in Asia, near China.
The bulk of the criticism was focused on the president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas. Pérez described as “absurd” the comparison of the match in Miami with the NFL event, asserting that the attempt to impose matches outside of Spain does not have the support of all clubs. He specifically mentioned that the access to extra financial injections for playing in Miami by Barcelona and Villarreal is an anomalous practice.
Another major point of controversy was Spanish refereeing. Pérez called it a “disgrace” that FIFA did not select Spanish field referees for the recent Club World Cup. The Real Madrid president did not hesitate to bring up the Negreira case, describing it as “not normal” that Barcelona paid the vice president of referees more than 8 million euros during a period that coincides with their best results.
It is not normal that Barcelona paid the vice president of referees more than 8 million euros for at least 17 years. Whatever the reason. To the vice president of referees, who had important functions. A period that coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona’s best results in our country.
Finally, Florentino Pérez positioned himself as the leader of a necessary “battle,” asserting that Real Madrid is “possibly the only club in Europe with the necessary strength” to face these issues. He denounced the opacity in LaLiga’s budget for media, citing the case of Relevo, and criticized the CVC fund, which “mortgages the future of our clubs for 50 years.”
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.
📸 CHANDAN KHANNA – AFP or licensors
