Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has stepped into the spotlight to defend his managerial decisions over a turbulent 12-month period that has seen the club cycle through three managers—with the possibility of a fourth if Alvaro Arbeloa departs this summer. In an impromptu press conference on Tuesday night, Perez addressed what he called a "campaign against Real Madrid and himself," though he notably sidestepped questions about the team's performance over the past two seasons, which have ended without a major trophy.

The most contentious move came when Perez chose to sack Xabi Alonso, a decision that raised eyebrows across the football world. Alonso had seemed the natural successor to Carlo Ancelotti last summer, but the president now insists he wasn't wrong to hire him. "It was a matter of circumstances," Perez explained in a subsequent interview with La Sexta. "It all stems from the Club World Cup—we didn't have a preseason. When you don't have a preseason, you suffer physically. We thought that with the change (the dismissal) we could solve it, but it only lasted a short while, and then they fell apart again."

As speculation swirls about Arbeloa's replacement, Benfica manager Jose Mourinho has emerged as the frontrunner, with reports suggesting he's already in talks about a return to the Santiago Bernabeu at Perez's urging. The president didn't shy away from praising the Portuguese tactician. "I like all coaches. Mourinho was with us and he raised our competitiveness. After his time there, we won six Champions Leagues in ten years." Mourinho's ability to impose his personality on a dressing room—one that has shown signs of indiscipline—is reportedly a key factor in his favor.

Yet Perez pushed back against any suggestion of tension within the squad. "No. They get along perfectly well. Fights in training have been constant. Tell that to any club. But what other clubs don't have is the bad faith of this orchestrated campaign." He noted that in his 26 years as president, players have clashed every year, though Real Madrid still saw fit to fine Aurelien Tchouameni and Fede Valverde following a disciplinary issue. For a club that prides itself on unity, the coming weeks will reveal whether Perez's faith in his choices—and his players—can restore the winning mentality that once defined Los Blancos.