Florentino Perez has declared he will seek re-election as Real Madrid president, dismissing widespread speculation that he intended to step down from the role he has occupied since 2009.
"I'm sorry to tell you that I'm not going to resign," the 79-year-old stated at a hastily convened press conference on Tuesday evening.
The long-serving club chief instructed the electoral board to initiate the voting process, with his current leadership team prepared to contest.
He issued a direct challenge to his detractors: "If somebody does want to stand, let them stand. But don't move in the shadows."
Florentino Perez is not going anywhere without a fight
|REUTERS
The announcement followed a bruising weekend for the Spanish giants, who suffered a 2-0 defeat to Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday.
That result handed their Catalan rivals a second consecutive La Liga crown with three matches remaining in the campaign.
Madrid's domestic disappointment compounded European failure, having been eliminated from the Champions League at the quarter-final stage by Bayern Munich.
The club will conclude the season without major silverware for the second year running, despite the high-profile summer acquisition of France international Kylian Mbappe.
Sections of the Bernabeu faithful have directed their frustration at both players and the president throughout a turbulent campaign.
Florentino Perez has challenged potential suitors to stand up to him at the next elections
|REUTERS
Perez attributed his decision to what he described as an "absurd situation" manufactured to undermine the club's interests.
"I've been here 26 years, and it's been a wonderful time," he said, before accusing "bad journalists and non-journalists" of orchestrating attacks against him.
The president dismissed reports about his health with particular vehemence, revealing that critics had spread claims he was terminally ill with cancer.
"It was the most undignified thing that has ever happened to me," he said. "They said I didn't go out, that I couldn't walk."
He reminded critics that his tenure has yielded 37 football titles, making him the most decorated president in the club's history.
The press conference also touched upon internal discord, with Perez addressing the recent training ground confrontation that resulted in Federico Valverde requiring hospital treatment following a clash with Aurelien Tchouameni.
Fede Valverde was taken to hospital following a serious physical confrontation with teammate Aurelien Tchouameni at Real Madrid's training facility earlier this week | GETTYBoth players were fined €500,000 each, though Perez insisted the leak itself caused greater damage than the incident.
"It's not the first time that players fight with each other," he noted. "But someone leaked it for the first time."
When pressed on speculation linking Jose Mourinho with a return to the dugout, Perez declined to engage.
"I'm not going to talk about coaches or players," he said, insisting his sole focus was defending the interests of club members.