Journalist speaks out after Florentino Perez sharply criticizes him in a heated press conference
A journalist has spoken out after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez criticized him during an emergency press conference.
On Tuesday (May 12), Perez held the briefing to announce that a new round of presidential elections will take place. He also said he plans to run again, just like in the last four elections — in 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025, when he faced no opposition.
Right at the start, Perez said, “I’m sorry to tell you that I’m not going to resign.”
During the conference, he talked about many things, including rumors about his health. He made it clear he feels great.
He said, “Some people have said I have terminal cancer. I’m still the president of Real Madrid and my company. I lead a world-leading company in infrastructure with 170,000 employees, earning 5 billion a year, and my health is perfect.”
Perez then shared his frustration about some negative news in the Spanish media.
“I don’t understand the Spanish press,” he said. “They keep saying, ‘let’s see if he leaves.’ I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be the last person to leave. The members own Real Madrid.
“If someone wants to run for president, they shouldn’t just make threats; they should actually run and explain how they’ll pay for it. They shouldn’t ask banks if the president of an electricity company can guarantee a candidacy…”
Perez, who is 79, also called out the news outlet ABC, which reported that he was ‘very tired’ because of his demanding job.
He said, “Nobody should expect me to just sit back and be tired, as ABC said. ABC is a Madrid newspaper, but Real Madrid is a club known worldwide. I’m mentioning ABC because I’m upset, but I could say the same about others.
“I run a huge global company with 50 billion in sales and 170,000 employees. Why is ABC doing this? Did they see me looking tired here? Starting tomorrow, I’ll fight with all shareholders to keep control.
“Where did the idea that I have cancer come from? I didn’t even know… If they want me to leave, I’ll do it only if someone beats me in the election. If they win, good for them.
“The club belongs to the shareholders, not to a few journalists who I guess are Atletico Madrid fans.”
Ruben Canizares, a journalist covering Real Madrid for ABC, responded on X, saying:
“Florentino Pérez held a press conference to try to embarrass ABC, the Vocento group, and me. I wasn’t going to let that happen. There are limits you don’t cross. I’m very proud of my work and my newspaper. That’s clear.”
Real Madrid will return to La Liga action against Real Oviedo on May 14, after their rivals Barcelona already won the title with three games left.