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Real president Perez insists 2017 was a ‘great year’

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said on Sunday that the club's fans have to be proud of their team's achievements in 2017, despite the 3-0 El Clasico defeat by Barcelona that left them 14 points adrift in the La Liga title race.

Published: 24 December 2017 14:25 CET

Real president Perez insists 2017 was a 'great year'

Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez looks on after a press conference following his re-election for the club's presidency at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on June 19th 2017. Photo: AFP

The Spanish giants completed a double of Champions League and La Liga titles last season and have since added the Club World Cup trophy and the European and Spanish Super Cups.

“2017 was a year that the Madridistas will never forget,” Perez said in his traditional Christmas message to supporters, a day after the home loss to Barca.

“In terms of titles, it's been the best in the 115 years of our history, and for all of our supporters, 2017 was a great year,” Perez said. “We are proud of our team and our coach, Zinedine Zidane. They are part of this legend and the myth that is Real Madrid,” he added.

Zidane has come under fire in recent weeks for the first time since taking over as Real coach, after their faltering start to the domestic league campaign and a Champions League loss to Tottenham Hotspur that left them facing a last-16 tie with big-spending Paris Saint-Germain in February.

“Overall, 2017 was very positive. We must continue in this direction for 2018,” said Zidane, who is bidding to lead Real to a third straight European crown.

READ ALSO: Dominant Barca move 14 points clear of Real Madrid

'Complete bombshell': Messi tells Barça he wants to leave

Photo: AFP

Lawyers for the Argentina star sent Barça a fax in which they announced Messi's desire to rescind his contract by triggering a release clause, sending shockwaves throughout the world of football.

However, the club maintains the clause expired in June and that he remains under contract until the end of the 2021 season.

“In principal, this clause expired on June 10th, but the unusual nature of this season disrupted by the coronavirus opened the way for Messi to ask to be released from his contract now,” wrote Spanish sports daily Marca.

“It's the first step towards opening negotiations over his departure, on the basis of which his release clause amounts to 700 million euros.”

Messi joined Barça's youth academy at the age of 13 and made his debut for Barça in 2004 as a 17-year-old.

The six-time Ballon d'Or winner is the club's record scorer with 634 goals and has won the Champions League four times.

But his future at Barça was thrown into doubt following a humiliating 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals in Lisbon 11 days ago.

The humbling defeat sparked drastic changes within the club. Coach Quique Setien was sacked after barely six months in charge while sporting director Eric Abidal was also dismissed after Barça's first season without a trophy since 2007.

Argentine sports daily Ole described Messi's wish to leave as a “complete bombshell”, but the Argentine has had regular disagreements with the club's board in recent times.

'More out than in'

According to Spanish media, Messi met with new Barça coach Ronald Koeman last week and told the Dutchman he saw himself “more out than in” the club.

Since his appointment Koeman has reportedly told Luis Suarez he is no longer part of Barça's plans, delivering a similar message to Arturo Vidal, Ivan Rakitic and Samuel Umtiti.

Bayern's demolition simply exposed Barça's ageing team for what Messi has been saying all along: they are simply not good enough.

He said it in February and again in July, when a rant in the aftermath of handing Real Madrid the title turned into a brutal, but honest, assessment of their season.

As his relationship with the club hierarchy grew increasingly strained, Messi also reacted publicly when Abidal appeared to blame the players for the sacking of Ernesto Valverde in January.

He also led the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dispute with the board in March regarding pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Respect and admiration, Leo. All my support, friend,” tweeted Barça great Carles Puyol, a long-time former team-mate of Messi.

“When you shut a tiger in a cage, he doesn't give in he fights back,” tweeted Vidal.

Messi's reported salary of nearly one million euros per week would limit the number of potential suitors, with Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan three clubs linked with an audacious swoop for one of football's all-time greats.

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