With the chase for the La Liga title now officially over for another year, after Barcelona sealed the deal via a 2-0 El Clásico win on Sunday, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez called an impromptu press conference on Tuesday.
Exactly what was to be expected from the 79-year-old was unclear, with Madrid simply stating that he would "appear in the press room of Real Madrid City after the Board of Directors meeting and will address the media in a press conference."
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In front of a room filled to the brim with the media, Pérez ultimately opened the floodgates, addressing his position amongst numerous other topics during his hour-long press conference.
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Pérez calls for election
"I regret to tell you that I am not going to resign," he said, announcing instead that a presidential election would be taking place.
"I have made that decision because an absurd situation has been created, caused by campaigns against Real Madrid’s interests and against me. The results have not been the best, but in sport you do not always win. They are taking advantage of the situation to attack me personally.
"Some have said that I have terminal cancer... I’d like to take this opportunity so that the people who have been worried about me know that I remain president of Real Madrid and my company, that my health is perfect; I couldn’t be in both places if my health were not perfect. If I had cancer as has been said, I would have to go to an oncology center; if I had gone, wouldn’t it have appeared everywhere in the world?"
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President calls out ABC
Pérez wasn't afraid to call out an ABC reporter, stating, "'Before the Board meeting, Florentino says, 'I’m very tired.' But do you really think I say this before going in? David Sánchez de Castro, are you here? So I can greet you, to see why you publish that. I get up early in the morning and I’m the last one to go to bed, I work like an animal."
Pérez plans to stand for reelection
"To those behind this campaign, moving in the shadows: let them stand in the elections, now they have the chance to do so. I’m going to stand to defend Real Madrid’s interests."
Bizarre argument with reporters
Pérez and reporter Rubén Cañizares got into it over what the president believes to be unfair coverage of him by Grupo Vocento, Relevo, and ABC. At one point, Pérez said, "Relevo, you knew what it was, didn’t you? It set out to make a digital newspaper that lost 25 million in its lifetime and whose only purpose was to go after Real Madrid and its president.
"And I’m sorry, because my father read ABC and subscribed me many years ago, but now I have made the decision that I’m going to cancel my ABC subscription to honor my father, who will thank me for it."
Pérez explains eye-watering Santiago Bernabéu cost
"The first Bernabéu contract was for the roof and it cost 600 million, then the underground works almost 400 million, and the third tender was for the decoration and the seats," he said. "To do harm they say it started at 600 and ended at 1.3 billion; of course, if you build a house you do some things and pay, then do others and pay."
Investigation into José María Enríquez Negreira
"Along the way we have come across a corruption case like the Negreira case, the biggest case in history," he said. "It is incomprehensible that we see referees from that time, who have been around for two decades. We are going to go to UEFA so they can stamp it out at the root, for the good of world football, over the Negreira case."
Pérez refuses to discuss 'sporting matters'
Pérez made his position crystal clear that he was "not going to talk about coaches or players." However, this didn't stop some reporters from trying their luck.
Asked if the club was intent on bringing back José Mourinho, Pérez responded, "We’re not at that procedural stage."
He went on to say, "I’m standing to return the club’s assets to its members, because from what I see day by day, they’re being taken away from them. Some journalists want me gone, and not only am I not going anywhere, but I’m standing in the elections because I want Madrid to continue belonging to its members."
Returning to the Negreira case
"In those wars it’s not always Madrid that suffers, other teams do too because they tell me so. Let’s see if UEFA steps in on this matter, because it will," Pérez said.
"It cannot be that there is suspicion of corruption paid for over 20 years (by Barcelona). I did not come here so referees could enrich themselves with Barcelona’s money."
Regarding the elections
"He’s calling them so there can be candidates. That gentleman who talks to the electricity companies and has a South American accent should stand. A Mexican accent."
Pérez brushes aside recent Valverde/Tchouaméni incident
While the details of exactly what happened between Fede Valderde and Aurélien Tchouaméni, what is known is that both players were fined half a million Euros each, and the Uruguayan was "diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury."
Pérez, however, brushed aside the incident, saying, "There was one year when I fired three coaches, it’s not the first time that’s happened. And it’s not the first time two players have fought, it happens every season, because they get wound up. What happened here is that someone told it for the first time, and we know who told it."
He went on to add, "For me the leak is worse than the fight. The next day they’re friends and go have coffee. In my 25 years of history it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
"I think it’s very wrong and I think it’s worse that they brought it to light. I’ve been here 26 years and there hasn’t been a single one in which two players, or four, haven’t fought."
Pérez reaffirms he is in good health
"I haven’t gone to the doctor, let an oncologist in Madrid who has treated me tell me. It’s just that friends have called me and told me I’m terminally ill," he said.
"I’m going to finish off all the bad guys. I’m not going to stop, have no doubt about that. I’m of an age, I have a company. Last year we grew by 65 percent last year. It’s as if after that they come after me. But they’re not ashamed of what happened with Negreira."
Disrespectful comments towards journalist
When pointing to FOX's Lola Hernández, Pérez said, "That girl, who has the right to speak. All of you are very ugly."
'Whoever wants to run, let them run'
"I have been watching what they are doing in the media—the Segurolas, the Relaños—who think they invented football," Pérez said.
"We call them 'the intellectuals of the regime.' We are the best team in the world, why do I have to put up with them saying Madrid is in chaos... And whoever wants to run, let them run. I have enough money to preside over the club without anything shady going on."
Pérez digs at reporters
"There is a conspiracy of journalists who think they run Real Madrid," he said. "They have even said that we are broke. The stadium has cost what a stadium costs."
Atlético de Madrid in the firing line
"What will the other clubs say if we are the bad guys? What is wrong with Atlético de Madrid, why don’t they go after Atlético de Madrid, for God’s sake?" Pérez asked. "If there isn’t a club in history like Real Madrid, what do they want? For us to win 10-0 every day."
Pérez again lashes out at journalists
"The external ones I have to report. Journalists—if a player didn’t give them his mobile number, they would kill him. Journalists have no power because people are very smart. Football comes from a very bad history; José María García did a lot of damage and others replaced him. To me, they are much less important."