Last update:November 24, 2024, 7:53 p.m. IST

Perez also hit out at Ballon d’Or voting and organizers after Manchester City’s Rodri Hernandez won the award ahead of Madrid striker Vinicius Junior.

Real Madrid Prez Florentino Perez (left), Manchester City’s Rodri (right) (X)

On Sunday, during the club’s annual general meeting, Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez attacked various targets, including the governing bodies of European and world football, UEFA and FIFA.

The 77-year-old Los Blancos chief is at war with football bosses over the Super League project that Madrid, Barcelona and other major European teams have tried to launch in 2021.

Perez slammed the new expanded Champions League format, which includes eight group matches instead of six and an extra round of matches for some clubs.

“The new Champions League format is unfair, no one understands it,” Perez said.

“With more games, the value of each has dropped by almost 30% – there are more games, but they are worth less.

“This competition will only generate interest at the end and not at the beginning.”

Pérez has often insisted that the Super League project would save the sport and reiterated during the assembly that he believed football was “seriously injured” and had “never been in a more delicate situation”.

Madrid have several players injured for long periods, including Dani Carvajal and Eder Militao with serious knee injuries, which Perez blamed on the increasing number of matches.

“This season we could play 82 matches – there are 63 percent more matches organized by UEFA and FIFA, going from 22 to 36,” Perez said.

“There have already been nine cross breaks this season (in La Liga), the same as all of last season. Specialists point the finger at fatigue.

“On top of that, matches are getting later and later, making it difficult for players to rest and recover.”

Perez also hit out at Ballon d’Or voting and organizers after Manchester City’s Rodri Hernandez won the award ahead of Madrid striker Vinicius Junior.

“Rodri is a great footballer… he deserves a Ballon d’Or, but not this year,” Perez said.

“This year they rewarded him for his performance last season… he deserved to win last year, when he won the treble with Manchester City.”

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – AFP)