adminMADRID. — Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has rebuffed calls from angry fans for him to step down and backed coach Rafa Benitez after Saturday’s humiliating 4-0 defeat at home to Barcelona in the La Liga “El Clasico”.
Real’s drubbing by their arch-rivals, which left them trailing Barca by six points, prompted supporters at the Bernabeu to chant for Perez to go and the construction magnate said on Monday he understood and respected their frustration.
However, he said there had been no discussion about holding new elections at a board meeting on Monday, at which it was decided that Benitez, who replaced Carlo Ancelotti at the end of last term, retained the club’s “full support and confidence”.
A clearly irritated Perez attacked the Spanish media for what he said were attempts to destabilise Real and added that an extremist fans’ group known as the “Ultras Sur” had been behind the chants for him to resign and were trying to “intimidate” him. — AFP.
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