Florentino Pérez furious after Cerezo spotted in presidential box

Florentino Pérez had a particularly tense derby at the Metropolitano. After Real Madrid lost to Atlético de Madrid (2-1), amid a match marked by refereeing controversy and the sending-off of Dean Huijsen, the club president also had a difficult moment before kickoff.

Clash in the presidential box

According to RMC Sport, the incident happened in the stadium’s presidential box. As reported via COPE, Juanma Castaño explained that, before the match, club leaders had a meeting and that when Pérez learned Enrique Cerezo would be present in the presidential area, the situation turned into an argument. The account says someone told him that Cerezo had been invited not to a VIP box, but to the presidential box itself.

The report adds that Pérez reacted angrily and threatened to leave his seat. People around him tried to calm him down, and he ultimately stayed to watch the game, although it was clear—per the cited version—that he was very upset.

Old rivalry behind it

The figure at the center of the dispute, Enrique Cerezo, isn’t just another guest: RMC Sport notes he had run for the Real Madrid presidency months earlier. In June’s elections—the first in 20 years—Cerezo received 35% of the vote, while Pérez was reelected until 2030 for a eighth term.

So the tension didn’t stay on the pitch. The derby ended with a bad result for the whites and with an awkward moment in the stands that, per RMC Sport, left Pérez even angrier.