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November 24, (THEWILL) – Real Madrid President Florentino Perez voiced strong criticism towards football’s governing bodies during the club’s annual general meeting, focusing particularly on UEFA and FIFA’s recent decisions regarding competition formats and match scheduling.
The 77-year-old executive directed significant attention toward the modified UEFA Champions League structure, which introduces additional group-stage matches.
“The new Champions League format is unfair, nobody understands it.
“With more games, the value of each one has fallen almost 30 per cent – there are more games, but they are worth less,” he said
Perez remained steadfast in his support of the Super League initiative, citing the European Court of Justice’s ruling which determined that UEFA and FIFA’s opposition to the project was unlawful.
“We never said it would be easy. It has been titanic, with pressure and threats,” he explained, while stating his belief that football is “gravely injured” and faces its most “delicate situation” to date.
The Real Madrid president expressed serious concerns regarding player welfare, pointing to an increase in serious injuries across La Liga.
“This season we could play 82 matches – there are 63 per cent more matches organised by UEFA and FIFA, from 22 to 36,” he noted.
He emphasised the correlation between match frequency and player injuries, including nine cruciate ligament ruptures already this season.
Further criticism was directed towards the Ballon D’or selection process, with Perez questioning the timing of Manchester City midfielder Rodri Hernandez’s award.
“Rodri is a great footballer… he deserves a Ballon d’Or, but not this year,” Perez declared, suggesting the recognition should have been awarded for the previous season’s achievements during Manchester City’s treble-winning campaign.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
