Perez pledges to bring back glory to Real Madrid
Florentino Perez pledged to return Real Madrid to glory and prestige if hes elected club president.
We want to recuperate as soon as possible the values and greatness that have always framed the life of this club, Perez said on Thursday at a press conference to announce his proposed board.
Perez became the sole candidate for president after candidate Eduardo Garcia stepped down earlier Thursday. Last week Juan Onieva, another possible contender, threw in the towel.
Perez, who turned Real Madrid into a star-studded global marketing project during his previous presidency, was expected to proclaim himself president next Monday unless another candidate appears and forces an election to be held as scheduled on June 14.
We have learned from the past and we are going to work intensely to return Real Madrid to the place of prestige and leadership that it should never have abandoned, he told reporters and supporters at a Madrid hotel.
The press conference coincided with the jubilant return home of new European club champion Barcelona, also holders of the Spanish league and cup titles.
Madrid finished runner-up in the Spanish league and ended the season without a trophy.
We will build a spectacular team with players of world renown and, of course, others from Spain. We will make the youth teams our symbol of identity, Perez said.
He provided no names but press reports say he plans to sign Villarreal coach Manuel Pellegrini and Milan star Kaka. He was also reported to be trying to woo Zinedine Zidane to work for him.
Perez led Madrid from 2000-06, when the club won two leagues and one Champions League in the galactico era that featured superstars such as Zidane, Luis Figo, David Beckham and Ronaldo.
Perezs pledge each season was that the worlds best would play for Madrid.
But he quit his post after the clubs worst trophy drought in more than 50 years, when it went three seasons without silverware while hiring and firing coaches continually.
