Florentino Pérez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florentino Pérez
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Pérez in 2024
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| 15th and 18th President of Real Madrid | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2009 |
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| Preceded by | Vicente Boluda |
| In office 16 July 2000 – 27 February 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Lorenzo Sanz |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Martín Álvarez (unofficial) Ramón Calderón |
| Born |
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez
8 March 1947 Hortaleza, Madrid, Spain
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| Alma mater | Technical University of Madrid |
| Occupation | Businessman, civil engineer, sports club president |
| Known for |
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| Political party | Union of the Democratic Center (1979–1982) Democratic Reformist Party (1982–1986) |
| Board member of | Chairman of Grupo ACS |
| Spouse(s) |
María Ángeles "Pitina" Sandoval Montero
(m. 1970; died 2012) |
| Children | 3 |
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Florentino Pérez Rodríguez was born on March 8, 1947. He is a Spanish businessman. He is best known as the president of the famous football club Real Madrid. He is also the chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a big company that builds things like roads and buildings. Many people think he is one of the best club presidents ever in sports.
Pérez started his career in business in 1971. He was also involved in Spanish politics for a few years. He has been the president of Real Madrid twice. His first time was from 2000 to 2006. He returned in 2009 and is still the president today.
During his first time as president, he started the Galácticos policy. This meant bringing the world's best football players to Real Madrid. He signed players like Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham. After a few years without winning trophies, he resigned in 2006.
He came back in 2009 and continued the Galácticos policy. He brought in stars like Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema. Under his leadership, Real Madrid has won many titles. They have won a record 7 Champions League titles during his time as president. This makes him the most successful president in Real Madrid's history, with 37 titles.
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Early Career and Business
Florentino Pérez studied at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He joined a political party in 1979 and worked for the city council in Madrid. Later, he became a leader in another political party.
In 1993, Pérez became a vice chairman at a construction company. After some mergers, he became the chairman of Actividades de Construcción y Servicios, S.A. (ACS) in 1997. Today, Grupo ACS is Spain's largest construction company.
Real Madrid Presidency
First Time as President
In 1995, Pérez tried to become president of Real Madrid but didn't win. In 2000, he ran again and won with over 55% of the votes. He promised to fix the club's money problems. A big part of his campaign was promising to bring Luís Figo from rival club Barcelona. This promise helped him win. He was re-elected in 2004.
Bringing Figo to the club started Pérez's plan to sign one of the world's best players each season. This plan became known as the Galácticos strategy. In 2001, Zinedine Zidane joined for a world-record fee. Then came Ronaldo in 2002, David Beckham in 2003, and Michael Owen in 2004.
At first, this strategy worked very well. Real Madrid won two Spanish championships and their ninth UEFA Champions League title. However, after 2003, the team struggled to win trophies. Pérez resigned in February 2006, saying the club needed a new direction.
Second Time as President
On June 1, 2009, Florentino Pérez became president of Real Madrid again. He was the only candidate who could provide the necessary financial guarantee.
He immediately restarted the Galácticos policy. In 2009, he signed Kaká from Milan and Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. Ronaldo's transfer broke the world record again. He also brought in Raúl Albiol, Karim Benzema, and Xabi Alonso. In 2010, he hired José Mourinho as the new manager.
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Over the next few years, Pérez continued to bring in talented players like Mesut Özil and Ángel Di María. The team broke Barcelona's winning streak by winning the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the La Liga title in 2012. They also reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in years.
In 2013, Pérez was re-elected for a fourth term. He brought in Carlo Ancelotti as manager. He also signed Gareth Bale for another world-record fee. The team won the Copa del Rey and their tenth Champions League title in 2014.
In 2014, Pérez signed James Rodríguez, Toni Kroos, and Keylor Navas. Later, under coach Zinedine Zidane, Real Madrid won three Champions League titles in a row from 2016 to 2018. This was a huge achievement.
In the 2019–20 season, Real Madrid won their 34th La Liga title. In the 2021–22 season, they won their sixth La Liga and sixth Champions League title under Pérez. With Carlo Ancelotti back as coach, Real Madrid won both the La Liga title and their 14th Champions League title in 2022. They also won the European Super Cup.
In the 2022–23 season, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey. They also won the Euroleague Basketball League, which is a big European basketball competition.
In the 2023–24 season, Real Madrid won their 36th La Liga title. They also won their seventh Champions League title during Pérez's presidency. This means he has now won more Champions League titles than any other Real Madrid president. In January 2025, Pérez was re-elected as president until 2029.
Under Pérez, Real Madrid has consistently earned a lot of money. The club has been the global leader in revenue for over ten years.
European Super League Idea
In April 2021, Pérez was named the first chairman of the Super League. This was a new football league that would involve some of Europe's biggest clubs. Pérez was a main person behind this idea.
He believed the Super League would offer better matches and more money for football. He also thought it would attract younger fans. However, the announcement of the Super League was met with a lot of opposition. Fans, players, managers, and governments were against it. Many worried it would make other football competitions less important.
Because of the strong negative reaction, most of the clubs involved quickly decided to leave the Super League. Three days after it was announced, the Super League said it was stopping its operations. Pérez still believed the project was just on hold and not completely over. He argued that the Super League was needed to help football, similar to how the EuroLeague helped European basketball.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Renovations
In 2014, Pérez announced plans to renovate the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Real Madrid's home ground. The new stadium would have a roof with an LED system and a giant screen. It was designed to be modern and comfortable for fans.
The renovations also included new areas for shops, restaurants, and hotels. The work was planned so that it wouldn't stop football games from happening.
In 2019, Pérez showed off the plans for the new Santiago Bernabéu. At the first home game of the 2023–24 season, the new retractable roof was used for the first time. The total cost of the renovation is estimated to be around €1.17 billion. Pérez believes the new stadium will become a major tourist spot and a center for big events in Europe.
Personal Life
Florentino Pérez married María de los Ángeles Sandoval Montero in 1970. They had three children. His wife passed away in 2012. In 2021, he tested positive for COVID-19 but did not have any symptoms.
Honours
- Football:
- La Liga:
- 2000–01, 2002–03, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2023–24
- Copa del Rey:
- 2010–11, 2013–14, 2022–23
- Supercopa de España:
- 2001, 2003, 2012, 2017, 2020, 2022, 2024
- UEFA Champions League:
- 2001–02, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2023–24
- UEFA Super Cup:
- 2002, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2024
- Intercontinental Cup:
- 2002
- FIFA Club World Cup:
- 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022
- FIFA Intercontinental Cup:
- 2024
- La Liga:
- Basketball:
- Liga ACB:
- 2004–05, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2023–24, 2024–25
- Copa del Rey de Baloncesto:
- 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024
- Supercopa de España de Baloncesto:
- 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
- EuroLeague:
- 2014–15, 2017–18, 2022–23
- FIBA Intercontinental Cup:
- 2015
- Liga ACB:
Awards
- Golden Foot Prestige: 2022
- Special Career Award: 2024
See also
In Spanish: Florentino Pérez para niños
