Real Madrid president Perez calls for new elections and will stand again as a candidate

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called club elections on Tuesday and announced that he would stand for re-election.

“I am not going to resign,” the 79-year-old Perez said at a news conference towards the end of a season that will see Real Madrid finish trophyless.

Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-0 in the Clasico at Camp Nou on Sunday to claim back-to-back La Liga titles with three games remaining.

Madrid exited the Champions League with a quarter-final against Bayern Munich.

Current Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who replaced Xabi Alonso in January, is unlikely to remain at the helm next season, with former Madrid coach Jose Mourinho being linked with a possible return.

This season, Madrid finished without a major trophy for the second year in a row.

READ ALSO | Barcelona star Lamine Yamal waves the Palestinian flag during the title parade

Fans have protested against star forward Kylian Mbappe over a perceived lack of effort, while there have been stories of multiple failures on the training pitch, including one that sent midfielder Fede Valverde to hospital.

Perez justified his bid for another term in response to what he called an «absurd campaign» against Real Madrid.

«I took this decision because an absurd situation has been created to generate a wave of opinions against the interests of Real Madrid. I have been here for 26 years and it has been a great time,» Perez said.

Perez targeted media campaigns and other personalities, claiming they took advantage of this season’s poor results to attack him personally.

«I want to put an end to this anti-Madrid current that wants to destroy Real Madrid. I am running for re-election to return the club’s assets to its members. If someone wants to run for office, he should not just pretend, let him run, but let him say what he is going to do, how he is going to finance everything,» he said.

Published on May 12, 2026