Edgy Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez calls for new elections at club and seeks another term

MADRID (AP) — An edgy Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez confronted journalists in a rare news conference on Tuesday and claimed he was the victim of an “organized campaign” to unseat him.

Pérez called for new club elections and told his opponents to present themselves and challenge him and his board of directors.

“I want to talk about all those I believe are behind this campaign ... some people are moving in the shadows to run for elections. Well, let them run,” he said. “This is the opportunity I am giving them.”

Usually calm and soft-spoken, Pérez appeared agitated and got into discussions with the media during the hastily scheduled news conference at the club’s training center, two days after Madrid lost 2-0 at Barcelona and saw its Catalan rival clinch its second straight Spanish league title.

“I made this decision because of this absurd situation of campaigns against the interests of Real Madrid and especially against me,” the 79-year-old Pérez said. “The results haven’t been the greatest, but that has happened other times before. But they are taking advantage to attack me.”

He said the campaign against him was being “orchestrated by bad journalists and non journalists,” and named a few newspapers and journalists.

“Some journalists and people want to destroy Real Madrid,” he said. “I'll always defend the interest of the Madrid members.”

The president spoke after a meeting of the club’s board of directors.

Madrid has endured a second consecutive season without a major trophy, despite having France star Kylian Mbappé in the squad.

Pérez did not speak in detail about the team's results, saying his appearance was solely to defend Madrid club members from attacks. He did not want to talk about a potential coaching change when asked about the possibility of José Mourinho returning next season.

“I share the frustration that this year we haven’t been able to win anything," he said. “I am the first to want to win everything. Let me remind you that, under my presidency, we have won 66 titles in soccer and basketball: 37 in soccer and 29 in basketball.”

Pérez said the leak of the fighting between players during training last week — which led to Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni being fined 500,000 euros ($586,000) each — was worse than the actual fight itself.

“It's not the first time that players fight with each other,” Pérez said. “It happens almost every season. But someone leaked it for the first time. And we know who it was. It should have stayed within the club.” He gave no further details.

Pérez dismissed rumors that he was tired of the job, or sick, saying they had been spread by his detractors.

“They said I have cancer and that it was terminal," he said. “It was the most undignified thing that has ever happened to me. They said I didn't go out, that I couldn't walk.”

Pérez is a highly successful businessman from the construction sector who is in his seventh term in two different stints as Madrid president. His current term would end in 2029.

“I want to assure those who are concerned about me that I continue to preside over Real Madrid and my company every single day,” he said.

Pérez spoke for more than an hour while answering questions.

“I could stay here all afternoon,” he said at the end. “I had a really good time.”

Pérez said he will take “an important dossier” to UEFA about rival Barcelona and its payments of millions of euros to a company that belonged to José María Enríquez Negreira, the former vice president of Spanish soccer’s refereeing committee.

Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, saying it paid for technical reports on referees but never tried to influence their decisions in games. Negreira has also denied any wrongdoing.

“Three years ago, we learned about a corruption case known as the Negreira Case,” Pérez said. “There are no precedents in the history of world soccer. It is the biggest scandal in history and a case that remains unresolved and ongoing.

“We are compiling an important dossier that we will immediately present to UEFA so they can address it at its root and resolve it for the good of world soccer.”

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Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gives a press conference in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gives a press conference in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gestures during a press conference in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gives a press conference in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez gives a press conference in Madrid, Tuesday, May 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez shows a yellow card to Real Madrid's Trent Alexander-Arnold, right, during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid in Barcelona, Spain, Sunday, May 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Joan Mateu Parra)

ATLANTA (AP) — England desperately wanted to protect its lead as time was winding down in the World Cup semifinals. Coach Thomas Tuchel made lineup and strategy changes to build a wall in front of goal.

Argentina and Lionel Messi simply kicked it down.

England led 1-0 late in the second half before Messi assisted on goals by Enzo Fernandez in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martinez in the second minute of injury time to give Argentina a wild 2-1 victory Wednesday and a spot in the World Cup final against Spain.

Tuchel's tactical choices in one of the biggest matchups in one of soccer's biggest rivalries will likely be scrutinized and criticized for years. England missed its chance to return to the World Cup final for the first time since 1966.

“They won every header. They kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be stronger in the air,” Tuchel said.

“Straight after our goal, with no substitutions, we just conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances. So we tried to help,” Tuchel said. “But of course the responsibility is on the coach. And … if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say that it was wrong.”

Tuchel’s chess moves just couldn’t contain Messi, the maestro of Argentina’s attacks.

England's loss marked only the second time this century that the team that scored first in a World Cup semifinal match did not reach the final, according to Opta. The other team was also England in 2018 against Croatia.

England took the lead on Anthony Gordon's goal in the 55th minute. But Argentina quickly switched the momentum with furious pressure on England's defense.

To protect the lead, England drew closer and closer to its own goal, hoping to build the sort of impenetrable wall it had when it held on to beat Mexico in the round of 16 despite being down to 10 players.

Tuchel swapped defender Reece James for Dan Burn, and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.

“We played a good game for the large majority of it. Once we went 1-0 up, we seemed to just try and hold on, which at this level is not enough,” England striker Harry Kane said. “Just gutted, gutted. Because we’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Fernandez struck barely three minutes after the England substitutions, scoring on a precision right-footed strike from just outside the penalty area. Messi set up the play with a pass to his teammate's feet and England defenders failed to close him down before he ripped the shot that curled past diving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Argentina kept coming and England's wall kept crumbling. The defending champions hit the crossbar and missed another header across the mouth of the goal before Martinez finally sealed it with a powerful close-range header when England defenders lost him on a cross from Messi.

“They got tired,” Martinez said. "They pressed for 60 minutes and then just ran out of steam. They got their goal and then sat back. That gave us more composure to move the ball around and stretch the pitch.”

Vertuno reported from Austin, Texas.

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here

England head coach Thomas Tuchel reacts on the touchline during the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

England's Anthony Gordon (18) is dejected at the end of the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

England's Anthony Gordon (18) and England's Jude Bellingham (10) react after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Argentina's Enzo Fernandez (24) reacts after their win the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

England's Harry Kane (9) reacts after the World Cup semifinal soccer match between England and Argentina in Atlanta, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)