After a season defined by internal fractures and a lack of silverware, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez has taken to the airwaves to shift the narrative, using the Negreira case and alleged media conspiracies as a shield against his own recent mismanagement.
The timing of the Real Madrid president’s recent media blitz, including a 40-minute sit-down with Josep Pedrerol on Tuesday, is far from coincidental. Pérez used the appearance to reopen the Negreira case and target the press, a move that feels like classic “red meat” for a disgruntled fanbase.
He’s painting his club as a victim of a grand conspiracy, which is a handy way to dodge questions about why the team is falling apart on the pitch.
While the Negreira case remains a serious matter of debate, Pérez is using it to bury the lead: his club is in a state of sporting and institutional decomposition. The locker room has turned into a powder keg. A physical altercation between Aurélien Tchouaméni and Federico Valverde (which left the Uruguayan hospitalized) is just the tip of the iceberg.
This follows a string of failures. There was the mid-season dismissal of Xabi Alonso, who came with a huge reputation as a manager, but was dismissed - almost certainly too soon. There were medical staff blunders regarding Kylian Mbappé’s fitness, with doctors reportedly treating the wrong leg.
And it cannot be overstated, that at a club like Real Madrid, silverware is the be-all, end all. Rather than addressing why the team has gone two seasons without a major trophy, Pérez spent his press conference boasting about his 66 total titles and his status as the “best president in history.”
There’s no doubt that Pérez has done an enormous job leading Real Madrid over a long reign. But in football you’re judged by your latest results, not what you’ve done throughout your life.
He claimed during his Tuesday appearance that La Liga “is an enemy of Real Madrid,” even suggesting the club was robbed of up to 18 points this season. Keep in mind, the Negreira allegations cover a period ending eight years ago.
It’s hard not to conclude that at the moment, the Negreira case (even though it brings very legitimate legal questions) is a convenient distraction from the fact that the Mbappé era hasn’t actually produced any big trophies yet.
The timing that makes it transparent is the snap call for elections. “They will have to kick me out at gunpoint,” Pérez said as he challenged anyone to come forward and beat him.
He is betting on the fans’ anger being directed at external enemies - the press, the referees, and Barcelona - rather than the board that allowed the current chaos to fester.
However, the strategy of blaming “the bad guys” can only last so long. Madrid fans may start to wonder if the conspiracy theories are just a way to make sure nobody looks at his club’s failures too long.