Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has come out and defended the club's decision to cash in on Argentine and Spanish star Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso, claiming footballing reasons as the logic behind their sales.
The club president also publicly blasted rumors that Los Blancos' signing of Colombian ace James Rodrgiuez was due to a business arrangement by Perez's company.
Revealed in a report by Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo, the 23-year-old 2014 World Cup Golden Boot winner was bought by the Liga BBVA giants shortly after the former Spanish politician's company ACS agreed to a 692 million Euro deal to build a motorway back in James Rodgriguez's home country.
But according to the 67-year-old, the Ultras Sur, a radical Real Madrid fan-base that have been prohibited from stepping foot inside the team's iconic stadium Santiago Bernabeu, are behind these rumors.
"Thirty-five percent of ACS' business is in Australia and there is no Australian in the squad," Perez stated, ahead of Real Madrid's Annual General Meeting (AGM). "This is information put forward by the thugs [Ultras Sur]. While I am president, the thugs and delinquents are not going to return. Many are not socios and what they want is to dominate Madrid as happens in France and Italy."
When discussing Di Maria and Xabi Alonso's Les Merengues exit, Florentino had this to say:
"Di Maria has left because we could not reach an agreement," he said. "It seems those who leave are always 'the best,' and whoever comes in is questioned. Xabi Alonso asked us urgently to leave. The players who left went for institutional reasons, because the interests of the players were not the same as those of the club."
Perez also admitted he did not know much about James Rodriguez prior to bringing him to the Bernabeu, but argues the former Monaco ace's World Cup heroics convinced him to move for the Colombian.
"I do not know how James plays. But he had a great World Cup and we wanted him here."
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