Florentino Perez speaks up for the first time after failing to sign Kylian Mbappe

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has been a long admirer of French World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe. The PSG star was almost set to join Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer but changed his mind at the last moment and signed a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain.

Perez failed in his bid to bring the Frenchman to the Bernabeu. Los Blancos have been following him since his Monaco days. But the 23-year-old has once again rejected his move to Real Madrid.

Florentino Perez made an appearance on El Chiringuito where he spoke about various things.

On failing to sign Kylian Mbappe

“His dream was to play at Real Madrid, we wanted to do it last August and they didn’t let him leave, he kept saying he wanted to play at Madrid and like 15 days before he changed the situation.”

“This is not the Mbappé I wanted to bring, he is another one, who must have changed his dream. He changes, he is offered other things, he is pressured and he is already another footballer. There is no one at Real Madrid above the club. He is a great player, he can win more than others, but it is a collective sport and we have values and principles that we cannot change.”

“The Mbappé who was going to come here is not this one. If it is, I prefer him to stay at PSG. I want the one with the dream. Impossible in three years? In three years’ time, we’ll all be bald? This Mbappé is not my Mbappé, who refuses to do a publicity stunt with his national team… I don’t want that. It could have been a slip of the tongue, but I think he was mistaken.”

On Erling Haaland

“We have the best 9 in the world and we weren’t going to bring in Haaland to have him on the bench, right? in two years? I don’t know. We have no interest now other than to build the new team with the youngsters we have and some reinforcement.”

On the Champions League final in Paris

“That spectacle can never happen in life, we ask UEFA what criteria are taken into account for the change of venue and the French government why they have unprotected us all. The fans suffered robberies and violence. Why was this site chosen if everybody knew that either you have big measures or there are problems? Some people had to spend the night in the hospital. Let them tell us why they chose Paris. They say that since we played a game against PSG and lost 1-0 and between that game and the return leg is when the change of venue happens, there are people who think that those who win there said they were going to win at the Bernabeu and see if they made it to the final.”

On the new Santiago Bernabeu

“In a year, at the end of next season. The war has had the rise in prices and the lack of materials. The inauguration? He will be invited and he will see it. Alejandro Sanz? Surely and someone else, there are many madridistas”.

On the Super League

“Of course it is still alive, right now there is a question in the Court of Luxembourg, there will be a hearing shortly and it will rule on the issues we have raised. We believe that we have the right, within the European Community, to organize competitions among ourselves, with UEFA. We understand that UEFA is a monopoly and in this Europe of 27, one pillar is that of competition”.

_{*All quotes via Marca}