Florentino Pérez's descent into hell

BarcelonaShortly after Tuesday lunchtime, many Madrid journalists received news of an impromptu press conference by Florentino Pérez. More than one thought it would be to dismiss Álvaro Arbeloa and others thought he might be considering stepping down, as he had done the first time he had gone two seasons without titles, in 2006. But within minutes, club sources were already informing them they were quite mistaken. Quite the opposite: Pérez would go on the offensive and many of those journalists would be publicly attacked. The white president will call elections to make it clear who is in charge, but the move could end up being a shot in the foot, as on this occasion there is indeed a member ready to confront him. Madridismo is living through key days.

Florentino's grotesque press conference was the last act of the great tragicomedy that Real Madrid has become. The constructor criticized the press, Barça, La Liga, UEFA... and made it clear he had the energy to continue by calling elections. He wants to continue leading a club he has turned into a kind of The Alamo. Surrounded by enemies. Many real and others imaginary. A man always attentive to press information, this year he has seen how media normally aligned with his discourse have ended up criticizing him. Normally well-documented news about a club where everything goes through his offices, where the directors don't mean much, and where he himself handles the sporting planning. Tuesday's press conference turned everything upside down. The president of Barça, Rafa Yuste, upon seeing how Pérez came to say that Barça had stolen leagues, responded: "I found them to be pathetic and false statements. The club has already issued a statement, the legal department is working on it. But from here I can say that this maneuver by Mr. Pérez to cover up a sporting disaster will lead him nowhere. It's no use bringing up Negreira again when we are winning with a 14-point difference. It's a very clear smoke screen. We are very happy and no one will take this happiness away from us." The coach, Álvaro Arbeloa, naturally, agreed with his president: "Real Madrid is always treated very differently from other clubs in the world. No one has to tell us what to think... We all know what has happened for more than 20 years, as far as we know. Because surely more things have happened that we don't know about," he let slip. In the interview he gave on Wednesday night with Josep Pedrerol, Pérez did not retract anything. "Does Barça want to sue me? I encourage them to do so," he let slip.

But the key to all of this was not Barça. Nor the players, the press, or the games. It was the struggle for power. For the first time in two decades, someone seems ready to challenge it in the elections: the businessman Enrique Riquelme, who has even sent him a public letter making it clear that he is considering running as he has the money and meets the requirements. To be president, the winning candidate must endorse more than 180 million in personal assets, 15% of Madrid's budget. This requirement reduces the competition and helps to understand why Florentino has not needed to put up ballot boxes to continue in charge for more than 20 years. From 2009 to 2025, he has been renewing the presidency due to a lack of opponents.

Mbappé, a signing without results

deck that ended with the Uruguayan in the hospital, Mbappé left Valdebebas laughing. He didn't seem very worried.

when Valverde and Tchouaméni fought, a fight that ended with the Uruguayan in the hospital, Mbappé left Valdebebas laughing. He didn't seem very worried.

Florentino is indeed worried, as became evident with his tense press conference. He had only strung together two blank years once before. Now it has happened for the second time. For years, signing Mbappé became his obsession, convinced that if he brought in the best players, the coach wouldn't matter. If the first term was that of the Zidanes and Pavones, where home-grown talent was mixed with big media names, the constructor's second term has been that of the Cristiano Ronaldos and Mbappés. A Madrid with few home-grown players, spending money on big stars and without sporting direction. Everything has been done as Florentino wanted. For a few years it worked for him; now it doesn't anymore.

they have put a stop to him with the parking lot works, with the concerts and with the renovations.Madrid also cannot be calm when talking about money. And not even at home have they taken care of Florentino: his decision to turn the old Santiago Bernabéu into a great money-making machine where football matches are no longer the only activity has put him at odds with politicians and with residents of the neighborhoods where until now everyone praised him. In Chamartín and in other neighborhoods near the stadium, conservative strongholds, they have put a stop to him with the parking lot works, with the concerts and with the renovations.

bringing back a José Mourinho who hasn't won titles for years.Arbeloa already suspects he won't stay, after these months. He has tried to win the dressing room's confidence with public gestures, like when he asked the fans not to chant his name and to limit themselves to applauding the players. But instead of getting along with them, he has ended up clashing with many of his former teammates. Some are laughing, in fact. Arbeloa's relationship with Florentino has always been good and, in fact, the coach belongs to the agency of representatives of Óscar Ribot, former press chief of the club. But without titles, the president will sacrifice him. Florentino has already started to leak to the press that he is thinking of a new coach and, in fact, he is considering bringing back a José Mourinho who hasn't won titles for years. He is now at Benfica, where after seeing that Porto won the League, the club offered the MVP award of the match to the referee, implying that he had punished them. Mourinho in pure form.

Mourinho, hovering over the Bernabéu

The first time Pérez signed the Portuguese player, he also did so because he needed to make a change of direction during years of blaugrana dominance. But he was a young, fashionable, winning Mourinho, not like now. The Setúbal coach has a contract until 2027, but if he pays three million, the white club could sign him. In Florentino's circle, not everyone believes he is the winning bet. But as always, everything will depend on the builder.

The white president needs a statement move to win the elections he has called and silence the critics. And he is preparing a transfer market with many ins and outs, after seeing that last year's signings, like Huijsen or Carreras, have not impressed. The key will be to see which coach arrives and what power he has to influence the market. For now, patience is running out with Vinícius, who after coming close to winning the Ballon d'Or has seen his performance drop. And patience is running out with Mbappé, who seems to have other priorities in life. The fans have already booed him. Florentino, for now, is protecting him, although thousands of fans have collected signatures asking him to leave.

Madrid, which has become a hornet's nest, doesn't even seem capable of giving Dani Carvajal a good send-off, a captain who has won everything and who has experienced animosity with Arbeloa, who also doesn't speak with Dani Ceballos and other players. The fight between Valverde and Tchouaméni, added to other incidents between Rüdiger and Carreras, have further tarnished the club's image. The crisis has erupted after two summers in which Florentino, convinced that he is always right, has not guaranteed balance to a squad punished by the absences of Kroos and Modric. And not even the youngsters who have debuted from the reserves have received support. The Gonzalos and the Pitarchs don't sell shirts.

At 79 years old, the president seems determined to continue. For now, he doesn't seem to be endorsing anyone to replace him as president and, in fact, this year he has already opened the door to a revolution with the ownership model, allowing private companies to become owners of a part of Madrid, which until now has always been in the hands of the members. One of the statement moves of a Florentino who remains obsessed with causing trouble. Meanwhile, however, Madrid continues to lose battles on and off the pitch. The “superior being”, of course, has proven to be mortal.