The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Real president avoids talk of Ronaldo’s future
RE_ELECTION: Perez discusses club model as new four-year term begins
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez avoided discussing the burning question of Cristiano Ronaldo’s future during the address he gave to mark his re-election yesterday evening.
Reigning Ballon d’Or and Best Fifa men’s player award winner Ronaldo has been linked with a return to Manchester United having been “outraged” by what he feels is unfair treatment by Spanish tax authorities, making him determined to leave the country.
The 32-year-old only signed a new deal with Real in November and is under contract until 2021 though his disgruntlement has caused an issue for Perez as he begins his new term as the head of the European and Spanish champions.
However, when speaking publicly having run unopposed to return as president for the next four years, Perez did not reference Ronaldo when discussing the current state of Los Blancos.
In quotes published on Marca’s website, Perez said: “We have built a legendary team with the best players from Spain and the world, but also with many players from our youth academy.
“This is the model that will continue to define Real Madrid. When united, this club is practically indestructible.”
Ronaldo feels he has been singled out for disproportionate treatment after prosecutors accused him of defrauding the authorities of 14.7 million euros (£12.8m).
Free-spending Paris St-Germain have also been linked with a move for the Portuguese forward but it is United who look to be at the front of the queue for a player Bayern Munich have denied interest in, with Jose Mourinho’s men reported to be preparing a record bid to bring the forward back to Old Trafford.
Perez’s latest four-year term has started as many of his previous ones have, with frenzied transfer speculation about which big-name players might arrive at the club and, perhaps more crucially as Ronaldo’s future dominates the headlines, who might end up leaving.
The Madrid electoral board met overnight and, with no other candidate putting themselves forward for election ahead of the deadline, it was confirmed that the long-serving Perez would continue in the role, taking his overall stay in the position to 18 years.
The 70-year-old, who was re-elected in 2009 having previously held the post between 2000-06, is the second most successful president in Real’s history in terms of football trophies won during his tenure, behind only Santiago Bernabeu who served between 1943 and 1978 and who the club’s stadium is named after.
Ronaldo was a world-record signing of intent from United after Perez returned as president eight years ago, the forward being part of a £225m summer spending spree that also saw the likes of Kaka, Karim Benzema and Xabi Alonso move to Real.
The 32-year-old Portuguese, currently in Russia at the Confederations Cup, has since become Madrid’s all-time record goalscorer, winning individual and collective awards aplenty during his stay in the Spanish capital.