Florentino Perez Blasts Referees After Real Madrid's Defeat to Barcelona

Perez's Outburst Following Loss to Barcelona

Madrid [Spain], May 13: In the wake of Real Madrid's defeat to their long-time rivals Barcelona, which allowed the latter to secure the La Liga title, club president Florentino Perez expressed his frustration with referees, claiming they have cost his team "18 points" this season.

Struggling with internal conflicts and injuries, Real Madrid fell 2-0 to Barcelona in an away match, giving their rivals a commanding 14-point lead and enabling them to clinch the prestigious title for the 29th time.

During a press conference on Tuesday, an irate Perez stated, as reported by a sports news outlet, that throughout his presidency, he has only secured seven La Liga titles, which he believes should have been 14.

"I have only won seven La Liga titles with Real Madrid!? I should have 14. They stole the other seven from me," he asserted.

Perez attributed Madrid's 14-point gap, with three matches remaining, not to their performance but to the referees' decisions, particularly criticizing former vice-president of the Spanish Referees' Committee, Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

"The referees have taken 18 points from us in La Liga," he claimed.

Allegations have surfaced that Negreira received over seven million euros from FC Barcelona between 2001 and 2018. The Spanish public prosecutor's office alleges these payments were made for favorable officiating, while the club maintains they were for reports and advice.

"The same referees from the Negreira era are still officiating. That makes no sense," Perez continued. "Barcelona paid for Negreira's services for two decades, and these referees are still active in the third decade," he added.

After a season without any major titles, including a quarterfinal exit in the UEFA Champions League, Perez, who has been at the helm since 2000, announced that he has requested the club's electoral board to initiate the process for upcoming elections for leadership positions.

"I have asked the electoral board to start the elections for the board of directors, which we, this Board of Directors, will be running. I want everyone to know they are open to all, and they can run like I did. I do not give lectures, nor do I seek the spotlight," he concluded.