La Liga: Real Madrid debunks claim of Florentino Perez stepping down

Real Madrid have issued an official statement to deny the rumours that its President Florentino Perez is planning to step down from his position.

Rumors about the future of the 76-year-old, who has been in office since June 2009, appeared at the end of the week, with a story that the club’s Valdebebas training complex known as Real Madrid City, was to be renamed after him.

Real Madrid has however swiftly defended Florentino Perez who has a mandate until 2025. The club said in a statement;

“In response to a rumour that has surfaced on some social media claiming that president Florentino Pérez is allegedly considering stepping down as president of the club, Real Madrid C. F. wishes to state the following:

“These rumours are categorically false and are due to certain interests that have nothing to do with reality.

“And at the upcoming General Assembly of Representative Members of Real Madrid, there will be no agenda item to discuss the name of Real Madrid City.”

Perez was first elected Real Madrid president in the summer of 2000, but stepped down in February 2006, saying the team and the club needed a new direction.

Since returning to power in 2009, he has altered the club’s statutes so that virtually nobody can afford to stand against him, running unopposed for re-election in 2013, 2017, and 2021.

Perez’s second term in power has seen the remodeling of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. He has also overseen six Champions League wins and six La Liga titles.

Asides from this, Perez has also come under criticism, not just from fans but also from officials, with former referee Iturralde Gonzalez speaking out earlier this year about a confrontation he faced with him.