Florentino Perez has mounted a robust defense of his stewardship at Real Madrid following a fiery press conference that drew widespread criticism for comments deemed sexist by Spanish media outlets. The club president rejected calls for his resignation and confirmed he intends to pursue re-election, while also addressing speculation surrounding potential managerial and playing staff changes.
Perez's press conference erupted into confrontation after he criticized media coverage of the incident between Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouameni, which resulted in the former midfielder's hospitalization with a traumatic brain injury. During heated exchanges with journalists, Perez made comments about female reporters that prompted ABC newspaper and radio station Cadena SER to label his conduct as reflective of arrogance and sexism.
Perez Responds to Sexism Claims
When confronted about the allegations, the Real Madrid president downplayed the controversy. "Everyone knows me by now," Perez stated in a follow-up interview with Josep Pedrerol on Wednesday. He argued that referring to a journalist as "this girl" was not inherently derogatory and suggested the incident had been blown out of proportion. The comments continued a pattern of tension between Perez and sections of the Spanish press, culminating in his declaration that he would cancel his newspaper subscription "in honour" of his late father.
Mourinho and Transfer Targets
When pressed about reports linking Jose Mourinho with a return to the Santiago Bernabéu, Perez denied direct involvement in managerial appointments. "I like all coaches. He was with us; he raised our competitiveness," Perez said, while insisting: "It's not true that I'm the one who hires the coaches." He emphasized that Mourinho had not been in contact since the Champions League fixture against Benfica.
On the subject of acquiring elite talent, Perez acknowledged pursuing the world's best players while listing his previous signings. However, he quickly reversed course when discussing Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker, claiming that acquiring such high-profile targets falls outside his direct purview. This contradiction highlighted ongoing tensions within the club's hierarchy regarding transfer strategy and future ambitions in European competition.
The controversy underscores Real Madrid's current vulnerabilities on and off the pitch, with questions over leadership, squad cohesion, and management appointments set to dominate headlines heading into the club's critical fixture schedule.
