Roberto Carlos: “I know a lot of people from Atlético and Barça, and they’re the ones who don’t want Florentino to stay”
Article excerpt
Roberto Carlos, the legendary Real Madrid defender, has waded into the club's presidential drama by calling Florentino Pérez "the best president of all time" while simultaneously revealing that players and insiders from rival clubs Atlético Madrid and Barcelona actively oppose his continued leadership. The comment suggests deeper fractures within Spanish football's power structure, with Carlos claiming he knows multiple figures from competing teams who view Pérez's tenure as problematic enough to warrant his removal. The statement presents a curious contradiction: praising Pérez while acknowledging widespread resistance to him from sources both inside and outside the Bernabéu.
Real Madrid's president Florentino Perez (R) shakes hands with former soccer player Roberto Carlos prior to the UEFA Youth League final football match between Club Brugge and Real Madrid at Stade de la Tuiliere in Lausanne, on April 20, 2026. (Photo by Fabrice COFFRINI / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
Real Madrid legend Roberto Carlos continutes to publicly endorse Florentino Pérez ahead of the club’s upcoming presidential elections, speaking in support of the longtime president during an appearance on TVE.
Carlos, one of the most decorated players in club history and a longtime ally of Pérez, made it clear that he intends to vote for the incumbent president.
“I’m a member, so I’ll vote in the elections, which are extremely important, and I’ll vote for Florentino, that’s for sure. We’re going to win big, Florentino is Florentino, I call him ‘Dad’, he’s a great person, the best president of all time and a spectacular person in my life. We won a lot together, we traveled together, and I know that his goal has always been for the members to be the owners of the club. He’s always said that and he’ll keep his word: Real Madrid belongs to the members.”
Carlos also suggested that Pérez’s success at the club has created opposition from rival fanbases and hinted that the president could have more ambitious plans in the transfer market.
“I know a lot of people from Atlético and Barça, and they’re the ones who don’t want Florentino to stay, because he wins titles and signs the best players. Big signings? I know he has some interesting things, some interesting names, but we don’t go after players with contracts at other clubs, we respect the contract, and if he wants to play for Real Madrid, we can talk, but it still depends: Florentino does everything very well.”
The former left-back also addressed the criticism Pérez has faced during the election campaign, arguing that his record of success is the main reason some sectors want to see a change in leadership.
“Florentino knows very well what he’s talking about, about the controversies, because he knows that there is a sector that doesn’t want him to continue because he has won many titles and will win more; being president of Madrid is not for just anyone, it’s a huge club.”