UEFA president on Florentino Pérez: "He's an idiot and a racist!"
THE OBJECTIVE publishes exchange of messages between Rubiales and Ceferin amid Superliga controversy
Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. | UEFA
In 2019, relations between UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin and Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez began to deteriorate. The reason is well known and lasts to this day: the creation of a European Super League outside UEFA, an initiative promoted by Pérez and opposed head-on by Ceferin. At the time, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, maintained a close relationship with the head of the European organization. THE OBJECTIVE has had exclusive access to the messages exchanged between the former Grenadian (from Granada, the south of Spain) executive and Ceferin. And in one of those whatsapps Ceferin refers to the president of the white club in very derogatory terms: «He is an idiot and a racist!».
The conversation, which takes place in English, dates back to December 6, 2019. On that day, Aleksander Ceferin, president of UEFA, made controversial statements against the plan spearheaded by Real Madrid to create a European Super League in which only the best clubs on the continent would participate. Ceferin considered that the project would «ruin soccer and its environment» and described it as «selfish» and «egocentric».
Hours after those statements, in a message sent to Ceferin, the then president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, warned him that the Spanish media were putting him on the spot to take a stand in the confrontation with Perez, given his role as UEFA vice-president and RFEF president. «We will continue strong. It’s difficult for me, but it has to be done».
Rubiales mentions Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, claiming that some media outlets were «in Tebas’ pay». Ceferin replied: «Don’t worry, I will always support you!». The former RFEF president was trying, according to the conversations to which this newspaper has had access, to appease the tense situation that at that time existed between UEFA and Florentino Perez due to the latter’s defense of Superliga. «Florentino, Bartomeu and I were trying to find a candidate against Tebas, but I think now Florentino is against me. But I will continue. UEFA’s position is the honest one,» conveyed.
Rubiales, on Florentino: «He is a very haughty person»
«We are strong. If you want, I can talk to Florentino», replied Ceferin in the message. However, Rubiales insisted on the need to calm the situation for one reason: «If I have Tebas and Florentino against me in Spain, it will be impossible for me». Although he recalled that he is «very proud». The head of the European organization replied: «I am also proud, don’t forget that. I don’t want to talk to him. I would only do it for you». «He’s an idiot and a racist! Don’t calm things down for me, I don’t need it. What I want is for you to be strong», replied Rubiales.
Specifically, and according to the WhatsApp message in possession of THE OBJECTIVE, the key passage of the conversation occurs in the following terms. Rubiales: «I will speak with Florentino cause here in Spain if I have againts Tebas and Florentino, it will be impossible for me». «Let us think what is the best thing. He is a very proud man. I think we can try to speak and calm all, but I will continue 100% with you. Don’t worry for this. ALWAYS». Ceferin’s response: «I am also proud. I don’t want to speak with him. I would do it only because of you.».
THE OBJECTIVE has decided to publish this conversation due to its undoubted informative interest, as it helps to understand the level of the confrontation between Ceferin and Perez regarding the Superliga project and Rubiales’ position on this conflict. Moreover, Ceferin’s opinion on Perez is especially relevant when there are only a few days left for the club presided over by the latter to play the final of the Champions League, a tournament organized precisely by the former. And the fact is that on June 1 in London both will be forced to share a box to watch the match between Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund.
In addition, it should be noted that in one of the audios revealed by THE OBJECTIVE, Rubiales commented that Ceferin had expressed his preference for Barcelona over Real Madrid. A fact that the former president of the RFEF considered relevant to the negotiations he was carrying out with the then FC Barcelona players Gerard Piqué and Leo Messi to «divert» funds from UEFA and thus compensate for the salary reductions suffered by some players during the pandemic, as this newspaper has uncovered.
Tension with Florentino
Ceferin, who assumed the presidency of UEFA in 2016, found himself in 2019 at the center of a major conflict with the threat of clubs to create a Super League outside UEFA. A battle that still continues today against the Madrid President, who emerged as one of the main advocates of this idea, arguing that such a tournament would generate greater revenue and raise the competitive level of European soccer.
This proposal provoked a strong response from Ceferin, who took a stand in defense of UEFA’s traditional competitions, such as the Champions League and the Europa League. For Ceferin, the creation of a closed Super League goes against the principles of meritocracy and accessibility defended by UEFA. In various statements, Ceferin has stressed that an exclusive tournament would damage the ecosystem of European soccer, weakening smaller clubs and national leagues.
Until now, the rivalry between Aleksander Ceferin and Florentino Perez has never reached a personal level. However, the messages now revealed by THE OBJECTIVE show clear hostility from the UEFA president towards the leader of Europe’s most successful club.
In addition, it is worth remembering that, although UEFA has considerable influence over Spanish referees in international competitions and in training and evaluation, it has kept a low profile in the Negreira case, the biggest corruption scandal in Spanish football, which is investigating the former number two of the Technical Committee of Referees, José María Enríquez Negreira.
