Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has expressed strong dissatisfaction with several football governing bodies during the club’s annual general meeting on Sunday, including UEFA, FIFA, and the new format of the Champions League. The 77-year-old, who has had ongoing disputes with the football bodies over the Super League project that Madrid, Barcelona, and other top clubs tried to launch in 2021, criticized the expanded Champions League format.
Perez called the new structure, which includes eight group games instead of six and an additional round for some teams, unfair and confusing. He argued that with the increased number of matches, each game’s value has dropped by almost 30 percent. “This competition will only arouse interest at the end, not at the start,” he said.
Perez reiterated his belief that football is in a “gravely injured” state and claimed that the sport has never been in such a fragile position. He remains hopeful about the Super League’s future, especially after the European Court of Justice ruled last year that UEFA and FIFA’s ban on clubs joining was unlawful. “The ruling, which is historic and will be studied in universities, put an end to UEFA’s monopoly,” Perez stated, acknowledging the challenges but expressing optimism about the Super League’s potential.
The Madrid president also blamed the increasing number of matches for the club’s ongoing injury problems. Players like Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao have suffered severe knee injuries, and Perez pointed to fatigue as a likely cause. He noted that this season, Madrid could play up to 82 matches, a 63 percent increase in the number of UEFA and FIFA-organized games. He also expressed concern about the late timing of matches, which he said makes it harder for players to recover.
Finally, Perez took aim at the Ballon d’Or voting, particularly after Manchester City’s Rodri Hernandez won the award over Madrid’s Vinicius Junior. “Rodri is a great footballer… he deserves a Ballon d’Or, but not this year,” Perez remarked, adding that the award should have gone to Rodri for his performance the previous season when he helped Manchester City win the treble.
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