Tribal Football

Florentino delivers "unprecedented attack" on Real Madrid enemies in General Assembly speech

Florentino delivers "unprecedented attack" on Real Madrid enemies in General Assembly speech
Florentino delivers "unprecedented attack" on Real Madrid enemies in General Assembly speechReal Madrid/X.com

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez didn't miss in his address at the club's General Assembly on Sunday.

In what has been described as an "unprecedented attack", Florentino took aim La Liga and their president Javier Tebas, UEFA, Barcelona over the Negreira case and the refereeing system.

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His speech lasted an hour and 18 minutes, which resulted in multiple standing ovations from the watching members.

 

Injuries and scheduling have been a scourge in the last two seasons:

"We've won 30 titles in fifteen seasons. But we already know the level of expectation at Real Madrid. Last season we competed until the very end, but we have to remember that it was a very tough season due to injuries that prevented us from having Carvajal or Militao available for almost the entire campaign. Or Ceballos, Camavinga, or Mendy, who we lost for a good part of the season. They've played more than 80 games, and that's an absolute feat given an increasingly demanding schedule."

 

The blow to UEFA and the confirmed multi-million dollar lawsuit:

"It's not that we're against everything, but we oppose what is illegal or unethical. It's neither normal nor legal to try to prevent clubs from organizing their own tournaments. It's not normal for UEFA to try to dictate our fate and force us to play competition formats that harm the fans. No one can sanction us; clubs are free, as the latest ruling (from the Provincial Court) has stated.

"We have both rights: the right to be compensated for damages amounting to billions of euros and the right to run our own competition, and I assure you we will exercise both. But keep in mind that UEFA executives are accountable to their voters. This is why we are forced to play matches in Asia or near China. It's not normal that in the 21st century, watching football is becoming increasingly expensive."

 

The blow to La Liga and Tebas:

"It's not normal that the president of La Liga wants to impose a match on us in Miami, something that even Barça's captain, Frank de Jong, doesn't think is normal. And it's also not normal that La Liga supports two teams, Barcelona and Villarreal, receiving extra financial incentives for playing in Miami. And then we have to listen to Tebas comparing the match to the NFL's failed attempt to play in Miami. The NFL game was legal and in accordance with the competition rules, and it also had everyone's support. It's not the same; it didn't even have UEFA's backing. It's nothing more than a failed gamble. And it's not normal that La Liga charges six times more than the Premier League."

 

A dig at the refereeing system and at Barça:

"The level of Spanish refereeing is also unacceptable. It's a disgrace that FIFA didn't select a single one of the 35 Spanish on-field referees. And of course, it's also unacceptable that Barcelona, ​​for whatever reason, paid the vice-president of the referees' association more than 8 million euros for at least 17 years. He held important positions, and this period coincides, coincidentally, with Barcelona's best results in our country."

 

More criticism of Tebas for the Legends museum and funding media outlets:

"It's also not normal that LaLiga continues to lose millions of euros of our money with the failure of the Legends museum, which is meant to justify investment in media. There are media outlets that were created with the sole purpose of harming Real Madrid. And it's even more worrying that they do so in an opaque manner. Their president has refused to give us this information."

 

The agreement with CVC and Barça changing their minds:

"Many clubs have realized that losing part of their income for 50 years will jeopardize their future with the CVC agreement. We expect this agreement to be overturned in court. And Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and Athletic have sued them. I must mention, and I'm sorry to say, that Barcelona also opposed it, but conveniently dropped the case when they were able to register players thanks to La Liga."

 

Real Madrid will go against La Liga:

"I want to make a few additional comments. Now it's up to them to determine the appropriate responsibilities. The president of LaLiga acted on his own initiative and will have to take responsibility. And let's not forget the disgrace of how the LaLiga players' protest was handled. We all witnessed LaLiga's shameful censorship. I don't know what was more shameful: the 30-second delay in connecting or hiding behind a 'commitment to peace.' But what peace?"

 

The anomaly of the Leagues with Real Madrid:

"But do you think it's normal that many Real Madrid players have more European Cups than league titles? Carvajal is one example. Some have up to six. And the one with the most, five league titles. Most, four. And I have the same problem as president. Is it normal? No."

 

The confidence of Tebas:

"Of course, I don't think it's normal for the president of LaLiga to be vice president of the RFEF. And I want to tell you something that wasn't known. The president offered me a position as a member of the Federation. I had to tell him, 'You don't know me.' That's all."

 

The former ECA is not spared either:

"We sought an agreement with UEFA, but it wasn't possible. They urged us to go to the ECA. But they require us to waive any litigation against UEFA. It would potentially mean giving up billions of euros that we are going to claim."

 

The controversial refereeing press conference in the Cup final:

"Real Madrid is the only club that has appeared in court for this case. Fran Soto (president of the referees' association) has asked us to move on and forget about it, but how can we forget? And it's not normal that most of the referees involved in the 'Negreira case' remain in their positions. It's a situation that prevents them from acting neutrally. How is it possible that before the Copa del Rey final, the match referee and the VAR referee (De Burgos Bengoechea and Pablo González Fuertes) threatened that the referees were going to take action against our club? Before a Copa del Rey final? He should have been removed from his position, and yet no action was taken."

 

Xabi confidence:

"The key is the mix of extraordinary players and young talents, that mix of players who love Real Madrid and are Madridistas at heart. We've brought in Xabi, who embodies Real Madrid's values ​​and knows our club well because he's won everything. And we've signed some great players."

 

Tribute to Ancelotti, Modric, Lucas and Vallejo

"We've come from a period that will forever be etched in the memory of Real Madrid fans, and I ask you to acknowledge Ancelotti, the most decorated coach in our history, with fifteen titles. He has earned our affection forever. Also, Modric (Florentino has to pause his speech amidst the applause). He already belongs to the heart of Real Madrid, he's an example on and off the field, loved and respected by all. He's the most decorated player in our history. Lucas Vázquez is one of our great homegrown talents; he has won the hearts of all Madrid fans and has been a model of conduct since arriving at the club. He has become a legend. Finally, I want to thank Jesús Vallejo, who has always helped us. He leaves Real Madrid with 13 titles."

 

The youth academy and tribute to Raúl:

"Please allow me to give a very special mention to Raúl. In 2020, he won the Youth League and has always been a role model for all our young players. Thank you, dear Raúl. We saw how Asensio and Gonzalo reached the top. Gonzalo was the top scorer at the Club World Cup. And eight players made their debuts with Real Madrid's first team. We are proud that eight academy graduates were part of our first team: Carvajal, Asensio, Fran García, Valverde, Vinicius, Rodrygo, Carreras, and Gonzalo."

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