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.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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)

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. is ready to face Paraguay on Friday night to open its first home World Cup in 32 years.

A jubilant Southern California crowd arrived early to cheer on an American team with high hopes heading into the final home opener for this tournament's three co-hosting nations. Led by midfielder Christian Pulisic and a core of his experienced contemporaries, the U.S. has reached No. 17 in FIFA's rankings with realistic ambitions of winning its group and then advancing from a knockout match for just the second time in its World Cup history.

The Americans’ first World Cup match under coach Mauricio Pochettino is at SoFi Stadium, the multibillion-dollar edifice opened in 2020 as the home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. The avant-garde arena normally has an artificial turf field that is not well-liked by American football players, but real grass has been installed for the world's summer soccer showcase.

Fans began to fill up the stadium and its surrounding campus several hours before kickoff. Amid thousands of supporters wearing U.S. shirts and chanting their players' names, many more fans wore elaborate costumes, dressing as everything from the Statue of Liberty to the Founding Fathers.

The U.S. last hosted the men's World Cup in 1994, when the Americans won just one of their four matches in a tournament won by Brazil. Soccer has steadily proliferated in popularity stateside since then, with youth participation booming while the domestic Major League Soccer, which began play in 1996, grew into a solid professional circuit.

The largest World Cup in tournament history kicked off Thursday with a 2-0 victory for co-host Mexico over South Africa. Co-host Canada rallied for a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in its opener earlier Friday in Toronto.

The Americans will play two of their three group-stage matches in Inglewood, with a trip to Seattle next week sandwiched in between.

AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup

United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino smiles during a press conference ahead of his FIFA World Cup match against Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

United States fans cheer prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A United States fan cheers prior to the World Cup Group D soccer match between the United States and Paraguay in Inglewood, Calif., near Los Angeles, Friday, June 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)