Florentino Pérez EMERGENCY PRESSER DRAMA — Real Madrid Latest News and Reaction

[0:01] Real Madrid's trophy-less season has left the fabled club in full meltdown mode, [0:07] from teammates fighting to reports of unrest and supporters calling for the selling of stars [0:12] and resignation of longtime president Florentino Perez. [0:16] The mess led Florentino Perez to hold an unprecedented press conference [0:19] where he ripped critics, defended his track record, [0:22] and dared challengers to step forward to run against him for the role of Real Madrid president. [0:27] Here's a look at some of the comments that Perez made at the start of the press conference, [0:31] going on to say, [0:33] He then went on to also say, [0:46] Where's Florentino? They ask. [0:48] I do not usually speak publicly. [0:51] They say I'm ill, that I have terminal cancer. [0:53] But I want to make it clear that I'm still running a major company, [0:56] André and Madrid. [0:57] My health is perfect. [0:58] Otherwise, it would be impossible to lead two institutions of this magnitude. [1:04] We are live on YouTube right now, [1:06] so leave your comments and questions in the comments section. [1:10] But right now, let's bring in our CBS Sports Lalia correspondent, [1:12] Guillaume Balaguet, into the conversation. [1:15] Claude Balaguet here alongside Troy Dini and Nigel Weirakoker [1:18] as we bring you all of this breaking news as everything is happening. [1:21] But Guillaume, please explain to me what we have just been watching for nearly the past hour. [1:29] Let me just start where it is at the moment, because it's still going on. [1:34] He started doing the Donald Trump thing of pointing out who he wanted to hear from. [1:38] I said, let's talk to him. [1:40] Let's get the question from him. [1:41] He's got a nice face, a face of a good person. [1:43] And also, he added, I'm having a ball. [1:48] I'm really enjoying myself. [1:50] Now, this is for Rorantino Perez as you normally get it in private. [1:53] When you go for a coffee with him, when there is a meal, [1:56] he would just be full of attack against anybody that criticizes Real Madrid. [2:02] He will be full of defending of what he's done at the club. [2:05] And he will give you names of those that hate Real Madrid and those that are trying to change the ownership model. [2:11] All of that is what he will tell you privately. [2:14] Publicly, he's very calm. [2:16] But today, it's a completely different story. [2:19] So what he wanted to say from the beginning is, number one, I'm not resigning. [2:22] Number two, there will be elections. [2:26] And number three, and this went on for a while, he started attacking journalists and certain media to say they don't want the best of Real Madrid. [2:34] And they actually have started creating this idea that I'm ill. [2:38] Behind this, there are interests, hidden interests of people that want to take charge of Real Madrid via the journalists. [2:46] And he had this argument with one of the journalists who, the journalist didn't have a microphone, still shouted. [2:53] And Rorantino shouted back. [2:55] And that was it. [2:56] He was asked about the coaches and players that may come or go. [3:01] I'm not here for that, he said. [3:02] But he did mention one thing related to the fight between Valverde and Chomeny. [3:06] He says, that's bad. [3:08] But you know what's worse? [3:09] The leaks. [3:10] The people actually have told the world what has happened. [3:13] And before, every single year there is a fight. [3:16] But these things come out because there is hidden interests against me and Real Madrid. [3:21] And it was just going on and on and on about justice. [3:25] Guilherme, just to shorten this, sorry, just to shorten this whole situation we're witnessing right now. [3:31] Is this a Real Madrid president under pressure and trying to justify himself of why [3:36] he is still president of the club and encouraging anyone to challenge him because he still believes [3:41] he can take this club forward? [3:43] Bear in mind, this has been two seasons with no trophy for a Real Madrid side that prides [3:48] himself on winning and winning mentality. [3:51] I will tell you differently. [3:53] He's not under pressure. [3:54] There's going to be elections. [3:55] He probably will be the only candidate. [3:57] And he will remain for as long as he wants because he's made the condition so hard to [4:01] be a president of Real Madrid that he's got it sorted. [4:04] But this is a person with a lot of power. [4:07] And I'm sure we all think of others that we know close to us. [4:12] A lot of power who's been challenged for different reasons. [4:15] Perhaps there are hidden agendas. [4:17] Others will use the results of the team to criticize the fact that actually he's not [4:23] building and there's only two or three people taking decisions at Real Madrid, a [4:26] greater squad compared to the other ones in the past. [4:29] It's somebody in power who's been challenged. [4:32] And he's got a powerful place, platform, to actually tell the world, you're all wrong. [4:40] I'm telling you what you're all wrong. [4:42] So he announces a press conference and he doesn't do that generally. [4:46] He did it in 2006 to say that he was leaving Real Madrid and came back two years later. [4:51] He does talk to the media in Christmas when he actually invites all the media for a few [4:56] drinks and whatever. [4:57] There's a lot of hope. [4:57] The record there. [4:58] When you hear him talking like this, like we just don't today in a press conference. [5:02] But it's not normal that he calls the whole world, look, we're talking about it. [5:06] We spent an hour on something just listening to him rumble about this, this idea [5:12] that he's been challenged and how can they challenge what I've done, what I've done [5:16] for Real Madrid. [5:17] That's deep down what's happening. [5:19] Guillaume, it's a crazy hour that we've just listened to. [5:23] I don't know you're much more experienced than this. [5:25] I just wanted to, there's two parts to this, right? [5:28] In terms of ways talking about people making up stories about his health, I think he has [5:32] every right to come out on the front foot and be offensive and say, no, they're all [5:37] rumours. [5:37] I'm putting that to bed. [5:38] Totally understand that. [5:39] But the other part to it, which he's alluded and it just kind of dismissed is, what's [5:45] the project? [5:46] What's the way that this football is actually going to happen? [5:48] Because Barcelona have got a project and they're doing it and they're continuing to [5:52] get better. [5:53] Yes, he's talking about the amount of money spent on the squad and how much it's worth. [5:57] But actually, what is the project? [5:59] Why should anyone believe what he's saying from a football point of view? [6:04] Roger is for a team of Pettif, whatever he decides. [6:08] By the way, they won the Champions League six times in the last 12, so it's a successful [6:13] project. [6:14] They've got a new stadium, amazing stadium in the middle of the town. [6:18] They didn't have to sell it. [6:20] They've got a training ground that they could sell for a lot of money, but it actually is [6:24] one of the more than training grounds. [6:25] And that may be a possibility to raise more money. [6:28] He's trying to fight with basically PSG and Manchester City, he sees as their enemies because [6:34] they bring money in a way that they don't think just doping in football. [6:39] That's what he calls it. [6:40] There's all of that. [6:41] But the project is not too bad. [6:44] It's just going a little bit wrong in the last two years. [6:47] And Jose Mourinho is going to come in and he may or may not get it right. [6:50] But his attack is not towards the journalists, and he mentioned some of them, not towards [6:57] the newspapers, not towards the media groups. [7:01] Deep down, he feels there are people, perhaps powerful, maybe that's how powerful people [7:06] talk to other powerful people, powerful people that he feels that want to take over Real [7:10] Madrid. [7:11] Not that easy. [7:12] And he knows that. [7:13] But it's a good opportunity to actually say, I am Real Madrid. [7:17] And those of you that believe what I say, which is most of the people at Real Madrid, [7:22] I'm saying these are the enemies. [7:25] This is what we're fighting against. [7:27] Oh, by the way, he mentioned Negreira. [7:28] The Negreira case again. [7:30] And he says he's going to present to UEFA a report of 200 pages with a lot of details [7:35] in what he says is the biggest corruption in the history of the game. [7:39] So looking for enemies, reinforcing your own world, and yeah, [7:46] putting out there that there's people, really, really bad people, he called them, [7:50] that want the worst for Real Madrid than him. [7:52] Guillaume, we know it's still early and trying to respond and digest everything we just had [7:56] to listen to and what the president is saying. [7:59] How is it going to be seen in Spain? [8:01] How is this really going to come across in Spain, in La Liga, with what people are just [8:05] witnessing now with the president of Real Madrid? [8:07] The problem, Nigel, is that people are in trenches. [8:12] So because you get messages from Florentino Perez on your phone when you need them, [8:16] there will be the pro-Florentino group. [8:20] And because perhaps others have been led by hidden forces, they will be against Florentino. [8:27] And you don't really know who to trust anymore. [8:29] So you're going to have to look for independent voices that don't owe anything to the president [8:33] of Real Madrid and can talk openly to hear what the real reaction will be. [8:39] But generally, I think I was looking at the press conference through a YouTube channel [8:46] that has got famous people in it. [8:48] And they were like, they could not believe what they were hearing. [8:52] It's like, this is a bit strange. [8:54] Florentino is 79, and he's very, very fit. [8:57] He had a personal tragedy when his wife passed away, and that really affected him. [9:03] But he's come out fighting right now against anybody that wants to be on the other side. [9:09] And he's asking those that want to fight to show their faces. [9:12] Because he wants to kill them. [9:14] He wants to eradicate them. [9:16] He wants the Real Madrid world to be Florentino Perez's land and nothing else. [9:22] And this is part of it. [9:23] So when he was asked about the elections, how is it going to work? [9:26] And he goes, I don't know. [9:28] Maybe in 15 days, we're just going to announce it. [9:31] So there was not even a preparation that he would take for a shareholding meeting of ACS, [9:37] the big company with 100,000 people that he runs. [9:41] So he was just an angry man that wanted to come out at a time when everybody's having a guard at Real Madrid and say, [9:49] here we are. [9:50] We're still standing tall. [9:52] Bizarre. [9:52] Bizarre. [9:53] Very bizarre. [9:53] Yeah, Guillaume, it seems like a lot of this is just for Perez to come out and defend himself. [9:59] And based off the comments that we're getting right now on YouTube, it says it seems like the people who weren't convinced about Florentino Perez staying [10:05] are even less convinced about him staying after everything that they've heard from him from the last hour. [10:09] But if you are a head coach, a manager who's in the running right now to take that position at Real Madrid and you see this press conference, [10:17] what's going through your head? [10:18] Because, of course, like especially a guy like Jose Mourinho, he's being linked to this job right now. [10:22] What is he thinking? [10:24] If you are a manager that wants methodology and order and the authority of the manager to be respected, you run a mile. [10:32] If you are Jose Mourinho, he's going to bring more fire to the fire. [10:35] Oh, my God. [10:36] Whoa. [10:37] This is the beginning of the Jose Mourinho era. [10:39] He's like, all right, I've got a president that wants to fight with me because what Jose Mourinho is going to do is what he always does everywhere else, [10:46] which is us against the world. [10:48] And sometimes you think like, that's Israel Madrid, the most powerful club in the world or one of them. [10:53] What you're saying, that everybody's against you? [10:55] It doesn't make sense, but it does if you've got Florentino and you've got Jose Mourinho telling you that. [11:01] And they're going to repeat it. [11:03] The referees are against us. [11:04] The authorities are against us. [11:05] And they're trying to get an advantage by presenting this idea to the world. [11:10] Just on that, Guillaume, two guys trying to create war. [11:16] How long before they start going at each other? [11:21] They understand each other very well. [11:22] Okay. [11:22] It wasn't a conflict between them that made Jose Mourinho go. [11:27] It's just that Jose Mourinho run out of matches to put more fires everywhere. [11:33] That's it. [11:34] I mean, everybody went against Mourinho. [11:36] And that year, the crisis was inside the changing room. [11:40] Not so much with Florentino. [11:41] Florentino fell, okay, time to move on and we'll get something else. [11:44] So, no, no, they're just going to feed each other. [11:49] One thing I want to ask the two of you is one thing Florentino Perez was saying was, okay, [11:53] we're seeing this news about players fighting in the locker room. [11:55] He's like, this has happened basically every single year that I've been here, 26 years. [11:59] Is that something normal? [12:00] Because the two of you have obviously been years and years in the locker room. [12:04] Again, fights. [12:06] The terminology of fighting needs to be understood. [12:09] Yeah. [12:10] There's fisticuffs. [12:11] There's pushing and shoving. [12:12] There's maybe every now and again, someone gets hit and then 20 people jump in and it stops. [12:17] Yes, fights happen in the dressing room. [12:18] They do. [12:18] They happen all the time. [12:19] But the terminology of a fight isn't a three-minute fight of two people going at each other locked in a dressing room [12:26] and the winner comes out. [12:27] It's scuffles because everyone's trying to push to try to be at the best level that they can be. [12:33] So, when they talk about fights, I just want to clarify that. [12:36] It's more of a 10-second thing, 15-second thing at best. [12:40] I understand what you're saying. [12:41] It's different for different clubs. [12:42] But there are some clubs where it can be very physical. [12:44] But the thing is, what we grew up in, it stays in the dressing room. [12:47] I think right now, with Real Madrid and the bad season that they've had, no trophy, losing La Liga, [12:53] all this tension is building up in the dressing room. [12:56] It has to come out to add more fuel to the fire, which is probably why we're seeing the president defend himself now [13:00] because of everything that's continued to roll on like a snowball effect throughout the entirety of the season. [13:06] You talk about the Mbappe situation, where people are now starting to question whether Mbappe was needed at Real Madrid. [13:12] Is he the problem? Is he not? [13:14] Someone with nearly 60 goals can't be the problem. [13:19] That's the crazy thing, to ask Guillaume that. [13:21] Isn't that something that's being focused on also, Guillaume, in the sense of the Mbappe situation [13:25] and how the season has gone on since he's been at the club? [13:30] Yeah, but Valentino Pérez, the one who takes decisions, thinks he's not the problem. [13:34] And I think in this case, he's right. [13:37] It's quite clear that Mbappe has not understood what Real Madrid is about [13:41] and has not understood how a winning team gets created. [13:46] He's got to work harder. [13:48] Well, he's going to get somebody that will feel that's bigger than him, [13:51] will make Mbappe smaller, will put him in his place if you like, [13:55] and will tell him, you have to do better. [13:57] Whatever way he tells him, it'll be interesting to see how Mbappe reacts [14:01] because, again, this is not the kind of superstar that Mourinho may have dealt with 10 years ago. [14:06] And this is somebody that has not won the league for 11 years in Mourinho. [14:09] So let's see how he creates the culture that is required, [14:14] but especially how he puts Mbappe in his place. [14:17] But he's going to come with so much authority [14:18] and with a president that's on fire and fighting that it's going to be their way. [14:25] It's Jose Mourinho and Florentino perth in charge of this club now. [14:27] Really quickly, Guillermo, you just said Mbappe has struggled to understand what Real Madrid is. [14:34] What is that for the people? [14:36] Because, again, he would argue, I've got all of the goals, I've got all the statistics, [14:39] one more do you want from me? [14:40] So what is that thing that he's missing? [14:45] It happened with Cristiano Ronaldo a little bit at the end. [14:47] They feel they're bigger than Real Madrid. [14:50] They may be right. [14:51] I'm not judging that. [14:53] But when you go to Real Madrid, you have to put your head down. [14:56] You have to do what is required to be admired and loved by the fans. [15:00] And that tends to be a lot of work. [15:03] And if you score, you're better. [15:05] But there's been players of quality that have not given everything. [15:09] No, that's not what they want. [15:11] So there's an adjustment to be made there. [15:14] Guillermo, immediately, some of the first words that Florentino Perez said is, [15:18] I'm not leaving. [15:18] I'm not stepping down. [15:19] And also asking that if anyone wants to challenge him, to challenge him. [15:23] Specifically what he said was, those who want to come out and stand against me, they can. [15:27] I'm also going to stand to defend the rights of our members. [15:30] If somebody does want to stand, let them stand. [15:32] But don't move in the shadows, I've asked the electoral board to begin the process of [15:37] calling elections in which the current board will stand again. [15:41] And he has run unopposed in the five straight elections. [15:44] So, Guillermo, one question that we do have someone from the chat live right now is, [15:48] realistically, who can challenge Florentino Perez in the elections? [15:57] Nobody. [15:59] Is that worrying? [16:00] Is it a winning club? [16:05] Has he built a big stadium? [16:07] Has it been called the best president in history? [16:10] Is it probably the best president in history? [16:12] Is he challenging without the need of states to put money into Real Madrid? [16:18] Yes. [16:19] Yes. [16:20] So he's doing very well. [16:22] That's why when you are in that position of power and in that pedestal, [16:27] and everybody knows and recognizes what you're doing, [16:30] what is he doing going to the MUT? [16:32] And fighting with little ass, it just doesn't make any sense.