Real Madrid president Florentino Perez claimed that Raul and Iker Casillas were the ‘great frauds’ of Real Madrid.
Perez became probably the most hated man in European football earlier in the year when he was integral to the announcement of the European Super League.
Whilst the Real boss wasn’t the only club chief to be leading the disgusting cash and power grab from some of the continent’s biggest clubs, he was the mouthpiece who claimed the clubs were only trying to ‘save football.’
Whilst the 74-year-old’s popularity everywhere else might have hit rock bottom, his standing in the Spanish capital didn’t look to have changed.
However leaked audio, via El Confidencial, from 2006 picked up the club president taking shots at club legends Raul and Casillas during a private conversation.
In the recording, Perez said, “The two great Real Madrid frauds are Raul first and Casillas second,” damning words.
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Raul and Perez after the striker announced he was leaving the club. Image: PA Images |
On Raul, the club’s top scorer before Cristiano Ronaldo came along, the two time club president said. “He is a negative figure, he is destroying Madrid and the morale of the players so that they say: ‘It is Madrid that is bad, not Raul.’ It is terrible how bad the boy is.”
That will certainly lead to some awkward moments around the Bernabeu right now, considering the legendary striker is the current Castilla boss.
It might explain why the former Spain forward was not picked to be Zinedine Zidane’s replacement, when he was reportedly one of the candidates, with Carlo Ancelotti getting the job instead.
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Casillas played 725 times for the club! Image: PA Images |
On Casillas, who had won two La Liga titles and two Champions Leagues by the time of the recording in September 2006, Perez said, “He is not a goalkeeper for Real Madrid. He is not and he never has been. It has been the great failure we have had.
“What happens is that they [the fans] adore him, they love him, they talk to him. I don’t know why they defend him so much.
“Well, it’s one of the great frauds, the second is Raul. The two great Real Madrid frauds are Raul first and Casillas second.”
Featured Image Credit: PA