Spanish construction magnate Florentino Perez vowed to make Real Madrid the best football side in the world in the 21st century after he was sworn in Monday for another stint as club president.
“Real Madrid has to leave behind all doubts and relentlessly advance towards this objective which must always be present in its spirit: to continuously to be considered the best club of the 21st century,” he said.
“We are going to dedicate our efforts to build a spectacular team with great players who are exemplary both inside and outside the pitch. A club where ethics are indestructible,” the 62-year-old added.
Perez is taking the reins again of Real, Spain’s historically most successful team and the world’s richest football club by revenues, after standing unopposed in elections for president.
Under his previous term at Real between 2000 and 2006 he signed top players like Zinedine Zidane and David Beckham which helped the club win the league title twice and also the Champions League.
Perez quit Real in 2006 after the club went a third straight season without a trophy, its worst run in more than half a century, but he has remained popular with supporters.
Real has been led on an interim basis by Vicente Boluda after Ramon Calderon stepped down in January following allegations that he rigged voting at the club’s last annual general assembly in December.
Perez has not mentioned any names regarding top signings but Spanish media has reported that Chilean Manuel Pellegrini, currently at Villarreal, would become coach in place of Juande Ramos and the club would also land AC Milan’s Brazilian playmaker Kaka.
Media reports also constantly speculate that Manchester united’s Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, Liverpool’s Spanish star Xabi Alonso and Bayern Munich’s French star Franck Ribery will don the all-white strip next term.
Real’s arch-rivals Barcelona won the Champions League, the Spanish title and the Spanish Cup this season under debutante coach Pep Guardiola.
The club finished in second place in La liga and exited the first knockout stage of the Champions League for the fifth straight season.
