Florentino's Eternal Scapegoats: Why Madrid's Boss Always Blames the Gaffer
Examining Florentino Pérez's complicated relationship with managers at Real Madrid and his tendency to side with players over coaches.
The Real Madrid president has long viewed managers as necessary evils in his football empire, consistently backing his star players when push comes to shove.
The Expendable Ones
In Florentino Pérez’s world, managers are merely temporary solutions to permanent situations. The Real Madrid president has developed quite the reputation for falling in and out of love with his gaffers faster than you can say “white handkerchiefs at the Bernabéu”.
It’s a bit of a pattern with the big man, innit? He brings them in with all the fanfare of a royal wedding, only to show them the old dog and bone when results take a dive. For Florentino, the squad is always brilliant, the players are always world-class, and any shortcomings must surely be down to the bloke in the technical area.
Players First, Always
What’s become crystal clear over the years is that Pérez fundamentally believes:
- His players are superior to whoever’s managing them
- Decisions from the bench are always questionable
- The squad is more than good enough to win trophies
- When conflicts arise, back the player over the manager
This philosophy has created a power dynamic at the club where managers know they’re on borrowed time from the moment they sign their contracts. No matter their reputation or achievements elsewhere, they arrive understanding one fundamental truth: in Florentino’s Madrid, the coach is expendable.
The Revolving Door Policy
The speed at which Florentino falls for managers during recruitment only to grow disillusioned with them is remarkable. From the Galácticos era to the present day, the pattern remains consistent - initial infatuation followed by growing doubt and eventual disenchantment.
Even the most successful coaches have felt this shift. Just ask Carlo Ancelotti during his first stint, José Mourinho, or Zinedine Zidane (twice). Success buys time but never security.
The approach has yielded trophies, no doubt, but at what cost to stability? In Florentino’s Madrid, the manager will always be the fall guy - it’s just a question of when, not if.