Florentino Pérez
Florentino Pérez Rodríguez (Spanish pronunciation: [floɾenˈtino ˈpeɾes roˈðɾiɣeθ]; born 8 March 1947) is a Spanish businessman and the current president of football club Real Madrid, as well as Chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil engineering company.
Florentino Pérez | |
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Pérez in 2022 | |
| 15th President of Real Madrid | |
| Assumed office 1 June 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Vicente Boluda |
| In office 16 July 2000 – 27 February 2006 | |
| Preceded by | Lorenzo Sanz |
| Succeeded by | Fernando Martín Álvarez (unofficial) Ramón Calderón |
| Born | Florentino Pérez Rodríguez 8 March 1947 |
| Alma mater | Technical University of Madrid |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, civil engineer, sports club president |
| Known for |
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| Board member of | Chairman of Grupo ACS |
| Spouse | María Ángeles "Pitina" Sandoval Montero (d. 2012) |
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He is a civil engineer from the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, he is the widower of María Ángeles Sandoval and has three children.
He began his professional career in the private sector in 1971 and became general manager of the Spanish Road Association between 1972 and 1976.
He has been President of Real Madrid from 2000 to 2006 and 2009 onwards. During his first six years as president, he implemented the Galácticos policy of bringing the world's best players to Real Madrid. In his first four seasons in charge, he bought Luís Figo from arch-rivals Barcelona, Zinedine Zidane for a then-world record transfer fee, Ronaldo and David Beckham. From the 2003–04 season onward, the club failed to win a trophy, leading Pérez to resign in 2006.
He assumed office again in 2009 and in his first summer restarted the Galácticos policy. He bought Kaká to the club, as well as Cristiano Ronaldo for a then-world record transfer fee, and Karim Benzema, a talented rising star from Ligue 1. In domestic competitions, Real was challenged by a Barcelona team led by Pep Guardiola and an Atlético de Madrid team led by Diego Simeone. Real was coached by managers such as Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. Over the course of nine seasons from 2013 to 2022, Real won five Champions League titles.
His business acumen, honed through his career in civil engineering and construction, has been pivotal in ensuring the club's financial health and commercial success. Despite occasional criticism for his management style and decisions, Pérez's impact on Real Madrid and football at large is undeniable. He has helped shape an era where football is as much about spectacle and storytelling as it is about the sport itself, making "Papa Pérez" a nickname that denotes both affection and respect in the football community.