How a construction magnate turned Real Madrid into a global financial and sporting powerhouse.
Florentino Pérez is more than a football president; he is a master of high-stakes infrastructure and brand management. By applying corporate strategies to the pitch, he transformed Real Madrid into the world's most valuable sports club, while simultaneously navigating the turbulent politics of European football and the controversial European Super League.
Florentino Pérez, a civil engineer and chairman of the construction giant ACS Group, first rose to prominence in football by winning the Real Madrid presidency in 2000. He campaigned on a platform of fiscal responsibility and star power, famously promising to sign Luís Figo. This launched his 'Galácticos' policy, an ambitious strategy of recruiting the world's most marketable players—including Zinedine Zidane, David Beckham, and Cristiano Ronaldo—to build a global brand. While the strategy initially brought immense commercial success and marketing reach, particularly in Asia, it faced criticism for prioritizing brand value over footballing balance, leading to his resignation in 2006.
Pérez returned to the presidency in 2009, doubling down on his vision. His second tenure has been defined by unprecedented sporting success, including seven Champions League titles, and a massive modernization of the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. The stadium renovation, which features a retractable roof and advanced technology, ballooned in cost to an estimated €1.17 billion, yet Pérez maintains it will serve as a premier European event hub. His business acumen has kept Real Madrid at the top of global revenue rankings for over a decade, with Forbes valuing the club at US$6.07 billion.
Beyond the stadium, Pérez remains a polarizing figure in European football governance. In 2021, he spearheaded the European Super League, a breakaway competition designed to increase revenues and match quality. Though the project faced immediate, near-universal backlash and was suspended, Pérez has continued to fight for its viability. In 2023, the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that UEFA and FIFA had abused their dominant position by threatening sanctions against clubs involved in the project, a legal victory that Pérez views as a vindication of his efforts to reshape the footballing pyramid.
Source: Florentino Pérez
