“I want more, like Santiago Bernabéu, who was insatiable”

Florentino Pérez was confirmed as president of Real Madrid for a second straight term on Tuesday by the club’s electoral committee. Pérez, who also spent six years in the role from 2000 to 2006, was re-elected to the presidency in 2009.

In reality, Pérez was not obliged to relinquish his post at all as it was confirmed at midnight on Saturday that no challenger had emerged to run against the construction magnate. The same situation occurred in 2009, when there were no aspirants able to stump up the more than 50 million euros required as a bank guarantee.

During his acceptance speech in the Bernabéu’s VIP suite, Pérez promised that Real Madrid “will be a club owned by members as long as I am president” and noted the institution’s financial upturn during his first term. “In 2009 we had 30 million euros in sponsorship and now we have 300 million. We are the club with the highest income in the world.”

Referring to matters on the field, Pérez said: “We have returned to the habitat in which we belong but I want more, like Santiago Bernabéu, who was insatiable.” Pérez’s obsession is a 10th European Cup triumph after he oversaw number nine in 2002 with Vicente del Bosque at the helm.

The Real president did not give any clues as to José Mourinho’s replacement as coach but his first choice, PSG’s Carlo Ancelotti, remains elusive and back-up possibility Jupp Heynckes announced on Tuesday he was taking a sabbatical from the dug-out.