The last sins of the most quixotic Florentine
The highs and lows of his final years at the helm of Real Madrid
BarcelonaIn football, when things aren't working, the first to be blamed is the manager. And if the situation doesn't improve, the fans start looking at the board. At Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez seems to have everything under control. Twenty-three years in the position, absolute power, and seven European Cups give him a certain degree of leeway. But in recent years, his tenure has had more lows than highs.
15 coaches in 23 years
During Florentino Pérez's tenure in the Bernabéu presidential box, fifteen managers have occupied the bench. This isn't unusual in the world of football – Barcelona has also had fifteen during this same period – but some have had very short stays. His first years were marked by criticism following the dismissal of Vicente del Bosque and a period of instability with five managers in three seasons. Manuel Pellegrini – without a title and eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Alcorcón – also failed to make an impact, and José Mourinho masked his meager sporting record (one La Liga title, one Copa del Rey, and one Spanish Super Cup) with controversies and off-field clashes during the era of Guardiola's dominant Barcelona. Rafa Benítez – eliminated from the Copa del Rey for fielding an ineligible player –, Julen Lopetegui – signed from Spain days before the World Cup in Russia – and Santiago Solari also failed to achieve success, while Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane are the president's two greatest triumphs. With them, Real Madrid has won the last six Champions League titles in its history (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022, and 2024). Afterwards, Xabi Alonso lasted only six months – his severance package cost him the entire year of his contract – and Álvaro Arbeloa began with a resounding elimination in the Copa del Rey at the hands of Albacete, from the Second Division.
Major failures on the pitch
If choosing the right coaches hasn't been Florentino Pérez's strong suit, his sporting planning has also had its failures. Real Madrid doesn't have a dedicated sporting director position in its organizational chart. José Ángel Sánchez – general manager – and Santiago Solari – director of football – would be the closest names to this role, but the reality is that the important decisions are ultimately made by the president. This is evident in the departures of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, two legendary midfielders who haven't been replaced. In contrast, in recent years, the club has brought in big-name stars, inflating egos in the dressing room. In this sense, the multi-million euro investment in Kylian Mbappé guarantees plenty of goals but doesn't address the deficiencies of a squad full of attacking midfielders, duplicate players – Vinícius, Rodrygo, and Mbappé get in each other's way – and wasteful signings, like Endrick. Last summer, a significant investment was also made in three defenders – Alexander-Arnold, Huijsen, and Carreras – of whom only the latter is performing well. But for the second consecutive season, there's no sign of the playmaker the system desperately needs. This erratic management adds to other missteps by Florentino Pérez that haven't paid off. The most egregious example is Eden Hazard, for whom more than €150 million was paid. Other major flops include Kaká, Gravesen, Illarramendi, Samuel, and Woodgate. The main successes so far are Modric and Kroos; Thibaut Courtois, the undisputed number one in goal; and the legendary Benzema – six Champions League titles – and Cristiano Ronaldo – the club's all-time leading scorer.
A silenced stadium
Institutionally, things haven't quite worked out lately either. The construction of the new Santiago Bernabéu—which was supposed to become the best stadium in the world—has generated several problems for the club. The cost of the project has increased by more than 150%, and the initial budget of 500 million euros has already exceeded 1.3 billion euros invested in a stadium where the biggest problem is the poor condition of the pitch. The innovative retractable turf—which could be easily removed for other events without damaging it—has caused problems when playing football matches. Another conflict with the stadium involves concerts. Complaints from neighbors about noise levels exceeding permitted limits have halted musical performances at the Bernabéu for more than a year and a half, and the Metropolitano has been left with the big-name artists: Aitana, Ed Sheeran, and Bad Bunny, among others. Real Madrid also wanted to profit from the construction and operation of two parking garages near the stadium. The club won the bid from the City Council, but the courts annulled it.
Against all odds and against everyone
The Super League is one of Florentino Pérez's latest major disappointments. The Real Madrid president promoted an attempt to revolutionize football and end UEFA's monopoly. He presented this project in 2021. The Beach Bar clubs like Barça, Manchester City and Juventus participated in this, but gradually dropped out of the cause.
Florentino Pérez has been left isolated in his fight against the current establishment and has recently lashed out at FIFA, UEFA, the RFEF (Spanish Football Federation), and La Liga. The Negreira case has been one of the latest weapons he has used to attack the refereeing establishment, threatening to boycott the Copa del Rey final last April if the referees weren't changed. The Federation stood firm, and Barça ultimately won on the pitch.