Florentino Pérez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florentino Pérez
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Pérez at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards
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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 (d. 2012) |
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Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (born 8 March 1947) 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 large construction company. Many people think he is one of the greatest club presidents ever in sports.
Pérez started his career in business in 1971. He became president of Real Madrid in two different periods: first from 2000 to 2006, and then again from 2009 until now. During his first time as president, he started the Galácticos policy. This meant buying the world's best football players for Real Madrid.
He brought in stars like Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, and David Beckham. After a few years without winning major trophies, he resigned in 2006. He returned in 2009 and continued signing top players. These included Kaká, Xabi Alonso, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Karim Benzema. Under his leadership, Real Madrid has won a record 7 Champions League titles.
Florentino Pérez is the most successful president in Real Madrid's history. He has won 37 titles, which is more than any other president, including Santiago Bernabéu.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Florentino Pérez studied at the Polytechnic University of Madrid. He joined a political party called the Union of the Democratic Centre in 1979. He served as a member of Madrid's city council.
In 1993, Pérez became the vice chairman of a company called OCP Construcciones. Later, this company merged with another, and he became the chairman of the new company, Actividades de Construcción y Servicios, S.A. (ACS). 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 came in second place. In 2000, he ran again and won with over 55% of the votes. He beat the president at the time, Lorenzo Sanz. Pérez promised to fix the club's financial problems. He also famously promised to bring Luís Figo from rival club Barcelona. This promise helped him win the election.
Pérez was re-elected in 2004 with a huge 94.2% of the votes.
The Galácticos Era
Signing Figo was the start of Pérez's plan to bring one of the world's best players to Real Madrid every season. This strategy became known as the Galácticos (meaning "superstars") policy. In 2001, Zinedine Zidane joined for a world-record fee. After him came Ronaldo in 2002, David Beckham in 2003, and Michael Owen in 2004.
At first, this plan worked very well. Real Madrid won two Spanish championships and their ninth UEFA Champions League title. Pérez said he cleared the club's debt. However, some people, like director Ramón Calderón, disagreed.
After the 2003–04 season, Real Madrid struggled to win trophies. This was partly because key players and coaches left. Pérez resigned in 2006, saying the club needed a new direction.
Second Time as President
On 14 May 2009, Florentino Pérez announced he would run for president of Real Madrid again. On 1 June, he became president because he was the only candidate who could provide the large financial guarantee needed.
More Star Signings
In his second term, Pérez continued the Galácticos policy. He bought Kaká from Milan and Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United. Ronaldo's transfer broke the world record again. He also signed Raúl Albiol, Karim Benzema, and Xabi Alonso. In 2010, Pérez hired José Mourinho as the new manager.
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Over the next three years, Pérez brought in more talented players like Mesut Özil and Ángel Di María. The team started to challenge Barcelona's dominance. They won the Copa del Rey in 2011 and the La Liga title in 2012 with a record 100 points. Real Madrid also reached the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in many years.
In 2013, Pérez was re-elected for a fourth term. He brought in Carlo Ancelotti as the new coach. He also signed Welsh star Gareth Bale for another world-record fee. The team also added promising Spanish players like Isco and Asier Illarramendi. This season was very successful. Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey and their record tenth Champions League title.
In 2014, Pérez signed more stars from the 2014 FIFA World Cup, including James Rodríguez, Toni Kroos, and Keylor Navas. He also signed young talent like 16-year-old Martin Ødegaard.
Continued Success and Stadium Renovation
Later, with former player Zinedine Zidane as coach, Real Madrid won three Champions League titles in a row (2016, 2017, and 2018). This was a huge achievement, not seen since the 1970s. In 2019, Pérez announced plans to renovate the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.
In the 2019–20 season, Real Madrid won their 34th La Liga title. In the 2021–22 season, with Carlo Ancelotti back as coach, Real Madrid won both La Liga and their 14th Champions League title. They also won their fifth UEFA Super Cup.
In the 2022–23 season, Real Madrid won the Copa del Rey again. They also reached the Champions League semi-finals and finished second in La Liga.
Under Pérez, Real Madrid has consistently earned high revenues. The club has been recognized by Forbes as the most valuable sports club in the world. In the 2023–24 season, Real Madrid won their 36th La Liga title and their seventh Champions League title under Pérez. He was re-elected president until 2029.
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium Renovation
In 2014, Pérez announced the winning design for the new Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The new stadium will have a roof with an LED system. It will also include commercial areas, restaurants, and parking. The goal is to make it a modern, safe, and comfortable place for fans.
The renovation work is designed so that games can still be played. The final cost is estimated to be around €1170 million. Pérez believes the new stadium will become a major tourist spot and a center for big events in Europe. In 2023, the new retractable roof was shown for the first time.
European Super League
In April 2021, Pérez was named the first chairman of the Super League. This was a new football league planned by some of Europe's biggest clubs. Pérez was a key person behind this idea. He hoped the new league would offer better matches and more money for football. He also thought it would attract younger fans.
However, the idea of the Super League faced strong opposition. Fans, players, coaches, and governments all spoke out against it. Many worried it would make domestic leagues less important and hurt fair competition. Because of this strong reaction, most of the clubs involved quickly decided to leave the project.
The Super League announced it was stopping its operations just three days after it was founded. Pérez said that the project was only on hold and not completely over. He believed the clubs were tied to contracts and that the law protected them.
In December 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled on the Super League. The court said that rules by FIFA and UEFA (football's governing bodies) about new competitions broke EU law. The court stated that UEFA and FIFA had used their "dominant position" unfairly by threatening clubs with punishments. This ruling affected clubs like Real Madrid, who supported the Super League project.
Personal Life
Florentino Pérez married María de los Ángeles Sandoval Montero in 1970. They had three children: Eduardo, Florentino, and María Ángeles. His wife passed away in 2012 at the age of 62.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, Pérez tested positive for the virus in February 2021 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
- Basketball:
- Liga ACB: 2004–05, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2021–22, 2023–24
- 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
Awards
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Second of May (2011)
- Golden Foot Prestige: 2022
- Special Career Award: 2024
