Youth academy
“Our youth academy is the best in the world. This was recently reflected in the CIES Football Observatory, in which we lead the ranking of the youth academies that contribute the most players to the five major leagues. Currently 44 players brought up at Real Madrid City play in the main leagues of European football. Twelve of our teams won the league title and eight of them managed to finish their domestic competitions undefeated.”
Basketball
“Here is the eleventh European Cup. Real Madrid has once again made history and delighted all madridistas and also all lovers of this sport. Because what we experienced last season in the EuroLeague we won in Kaunas is the best example of this club’s DNA. These players were once again the heroes of unbelievable comebacks. Again they represented the values of our club and, more than anything else, they gave everything they had to prove once again that, with this crest and with this shirt, no player ever gives up.”
Financial situation
“Despite our stadium not yet being at full capacity for the 2022-2023 season, the club has achieved revenues this season of €843 million, which represents an increase of 16% over the previous season, reaching an after-tax profit of €12 million.”
Real Madrid Foundation
“We are a club with a strong social commitment. The Real Madrid Foundation stands as a symbol of solidarity. 26 years helping the most vulnerable in our society, especially children at risk of social exclusion. As I always say, it is the soul of Real Madrid.”
Crisis in European football
“Football is experiencing an unprecedented institutional crisis. At all levels, both in Spain and in Europe. The main problem is that there are a series of stakeholders who act without thinking about the fans. And we are going to continue working to ensure that football can once again inspire the greatest number of fans all over the world.”
“European football does not belong to the president of UEFA. Spanish football does not belong to the president of La Liga. Football is no one’s monopoly, because football belongs to everyone. The goal of the Super League is very clear: to deliver the best possible club competition. The rules of financial fair play must be enforced once and for all. To achieve this, we need transparent and modern corporate governance structures that are up to the standards of the 21st century and subject to the principles and laws of the European Union.”
The Super League
“The Super League project has been subject to constant disinformation and manipulation campaigns during this time. They have even claimed that we want to leave the national leagues and everyone knows that this is false, because it would be a competition that is perfectly compatible with the national competitions and their calendars. The sole and main objective of the Super League is to improve, modernise and strengthen the European competitions and, naturally, without privileges and without anyone being excluded, because it will be a fully meritocratic competition.”
“This season will be the last of the current Champions League model. A new European tournament that nobody quite understands and with no home and away matches. An unusual, absurd project that makes no football sense. This proposed new format is best suited to the political system of governance at the top of UEFA, and to the balances of power on which their re-election as directors depends. The current system of governance belongs to another era. It does not take into account the demands of the fans and footballers, nor the needs of the clubs, who are the ones who risk their assets.”
“UEFA continues to run competitions in the same way as it did 30 years ago. With no innovation, no modernisation, no transparency, no bringing the competition closer to the fans. We have seen many examples where large corporations that seemed invincible in their sectors went bankrupt because they did not know how to modernise and adapt to the times. We therefore hope that 21 December, when we learn of the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union on this case, will mark the beginning of a new era for the good of football.”
Spanish football
“In Spain, the football situation is even more worrying. I will not say much at this time about the Spanish football federation, as it is undergoing a process of regeneration. There are many issues of particular relevance that depend directly on the Spanish football federation. Such sensitive and important issues as the quality of refereeing and the implementation of the VAR, a technological instrument that was created to improve football and that today is being called into question due to the management and use made by those in charge of it.”
“The issue that should concern us most and for which we have to take very decisive measures is the repeated actions of LaLiga against the interests of Real Madrid. These actions pursue a single objective: to attack the financial assets of our club. First, they tried to expropriate 11% of our audiovisual rights income for 50 years, in other words, for half a century. And then, they tried to modify the Sports Law with the aim of appropriating our commercial rights. LaLiga’s deal with CVC is a scourge for Spanish football. For this reason, we trust that, given its irregularities, it will be permanently annulled by the Spanish courts.”
‘We cannot allow our heritage to be taken away from us because our present and our future depend on it. And they do this because they really think that if they take it away from us, it does not affect you personally. Because they believe that when they say that the club belongs to the members, they say it from a romantic, sentimental and sporting point of view, but never from a financial point of view.”
Organisational structure to protect Real Madrid
‘Some days ago, Forbes announced that Real Madrid is the most valuable football club in the world, with a valuation of more than €6 billion. And I personally believe it is worth much more.’
‘Measures need to be taken so that both Real Madrid as an institution and the members as owners have the necessary ability to protect our club legally and financially. I will continue to work in the coming months to provide you with an organisational structure that will protect Real Madrid as never before. A structure that protects and safeguards the economic assets owned by Real Madrid and by each of our members. A structure that will also allow us to defend ourselves personally against any threat of expropriation.’
Negreira Case
“I would like to conclude my speech with a necessary reference to the Negreira case. It will be brief, because it is a matter that is in the hands of the courts. You will agree with me that it is not normal for a football club to have paid almost €8 million, for almost 20 years, to the vice-president and number two of the Spanish referees. This is an extremely serious case and is severely damaging the image of Spanish football in the world. But we have full confidence in the justice system.”
Universal sociological Madridism
“Please allow me to reflect on this new concept that we have been hearing of late: the so-called sociological madridismo. I would like to specify that the correct thing to say would be the existence of a universal sociological madridismo. Because this universal madridismo exists, have no doubt about it. Real Madrid is the only club in the world, in any sport, with more than 500 million registered followers on social media. A huge contingent of fans in every country in the world.’
‘There is universal sociological madridismo to such an extent that it was the only founding club of FIFA on 21 May 1904, and it was also the only club to promote the establishment of the European Cup at that historic meeting in Paris on 3 April 1955. Real Madrid was recognised by FIFA as the Best Club of the 20th Century.’
‘The universal sociological madridismo exists because our club is the most followed, the most admired and the most loved in the world. This is the result of our uncompromising values: excellence, commitment, winning spirit, team philosophy, respect, solidarity, humility and universality.’
‘The universal sociological madridismo exists because of the energy and talent of Bernabeu and it exists because of such great legends as Di Stéfano, Puskas, Gent, Ask, Santamariawho together with other legendary figures won the club’s first five European Cups consecutively. All of them also won the respect, affection and admiration of the world. This is how we have achieved 14 European Cups, a sporting legacy that today seems unattainable for any other club.’
The club with the 25 European Cups
‘All of this, at all times with the respect that the white shirt of Real Madrid deserves, built on hard work, effort, a winning spirit, fair play and humility. A Real Madrid without frontiers that embraces the hearts of people in every corner of the world, regardless of their origin, background, ethnicity, language, religion, ideology or culture.’
‘This is universal sociological madridismo. A phenomenon deserving of study and very difficult for any other club to achieve. This is Real Madridthe club with 25 European Cups: 14 in football and 11 in basketball. The best club in the world and the greatest club in history.’
