But Florentino Perez was not high its stars

Do not rely on his air of beaten the Droopy dog, the character of Tex Avery: Florentino Perez is a magician! A man capable of propelling a quarter-century, a small Spanish construction company employing 150 people to the rank of the sector of the construction industry in Europe, with a big sales of 16 billion euros and 141,000 employees. Or get in a few days, a loan of 150 million for the purchase of several players of football in a country in recession, where companies complain of brutal credit restriction.

Since his return to the Presidency of Real Madrid, last June, his fans christened the "King Midas" has spent more than 260 million euros in transfers and brought down a rain of stars on the Santiago Bernabeu, between the Portuguese Ronaldo (94 million), the Brazilian Kaka (72 million), the French Benzema (35 million) or the Spanish Xabi Alonso (30 million). Only Franck Ribéry, that Bayern Munich refused to surrender to EUR 60 million, missing. But it would only be a matter of months...

As the CEO of ACS, but likes to repeat that "all strategic investments require a slow process of maturation to be successful", appears to lose any notion of caution when it comes to football. The host of the "White House", the name of the Madrid club, is a repeat offender. During his first presidency, he had already detonated market transfers, spending some 600 million euros between 2000 and 2006, including a good part in purchase of players such as the French Zidane (72 million), the Portuguese Figo (60 million), the Brazilian Ronaldo (45 million) or the English Beckham (25 million). This is undoubtedly the bipolar side of a character which hide, according to Juan Carlos Escudier, author of a biography entitled "Portrait in white and black of a man who has succeeded", a character "angry and vindictive" behind a friendly face in public. An other face including experienced journalists and Spanish press bosses faced his fanatical interventionism.

Between politics and business

His fortune is estimated at $ 1.8 billion by "forbes" magazine, the son of Madrid traders, now aged sixty-two years, is not a flamer. It is that the ownership of a yacht anchored at Palma de Mallorca, Balearic Islands, as outward signs of wealth. His wife, Mari Angeles Sandoval, nicknamed "Pitina", and her three children do not occupy one of the gazettes people. Tireless worker, human step mounted the stairs of success. Engineer of the ponts et chaussées, he balance time between politics and business, while the Spain, in full renewal of its ruling class, turns the page of the Franco regime.

Florentino Perez began his career in 1973, at the direction of the Spanish Road Association before dealing with services of roads of the City Hall of Madrid, where he became an elected official in the ranks of the Union of the democratic centre (UCD) of Adolfo Suarez, then head of Government. After the defeat of his own in the general election, he made a first incursion in the private sector, by participating in the resumption of Construcciones Padrós, a small firm of bankrupt construction. And leads at the same time his political career. The label of the Democratic Reform Party, which he became the Secretary General, he is beaten in the legislative elections of 1986.

The page is definitely tour. Place in the business! This period him remain a rich address book, sustains essential in the construction sector, very dependent on the public order. Ocisa, Cobra, OCP... Purchases of the BTP companies move to lead, in 1997, to the creation of Actividades de Construcciones y Servicios (ACS), today a giant Spanish construction services to the industry and the environment. In 2003, the group participates in the creation of Abertis (infrastructure), two years later, it took 45 of Union Fenosa (energy). In 2008, rising to 30 in the capital of the German Hochtief. Some are speculating on a next OPA.

Alone in the manoeuvre

Having reduced its debt after the assignment, this year, its shares in Fenosa Gas Natural - with a capital gain of 1 billion to the key-, the group, stock animation champion, could start from the assault of Iberdrola, which it owns approximately 12 of the capital. Be welcome in the number a Spanish energy, Florentino Perez had already attempted, last year, to join EDF in the adventure, causing a great uproar policy in Madrid.

Each time, our man is only manoeuvring, as the impression to be the owner of a firm which it holds but only 11. Controlled by the heirs of the March Bank as well as by Alberto Cortino and Alberto Alcocer, two flamboyant Spanish entrepreneurs best known under the nickname "The Albertos" and for their woes with justice, ACS has shareholders who prefer shade to light. A dream for a CEO who, in return, maximize their investment!

Another great case of Florentino Perez is therefore called Real Madrid. Holder of the card "socio" number 5894, it attempts to take the Presidency for the first time in 1995. "The love of football is not his only motivation, is Juan Carlos Escudier.". It is a position that offers an incredible social showcase. The Santiago Bernabeu is hunts of Franco. Imagine what can represent for a business leader allowing the King or Ministers in the official gallery. "The pattern of ACS arrives for its purposes, in 2000, with a leader outgoing that displays two sections of Europe of its assets, but leaves 275 million euros of debt. This does not hamper the "King Midas". To give a haven to its team of stars, modestly called "Galactic", it launches the renovation of the Santiago Bernabeu, now the second monument most visited Madrid behind the Prado Museum. He is also a nice real estate hit with the recharacterization of the non-land of the sports city of the club, before their resale for EUR 330 million.

Of the stars "not high".

During the first three years of his presidency, the Real WINS seven national and international titles. But Florentino Perez was "not high" its stars. The team uses six coaches. "It was the end of the cycle of a group who won everything, and I thought that the new impetus to be given on a sporting level amounted to another person," he said today to explain his resignation in 2006. Under its mandate, the club saw its turnover pass course from 100 to 300 million euros, but the debt reached 194 million last year. His successor is not up to the task and, on the ground, the team is shaking Europe.

Hence the return of the magician to restore, according to its terms, "the image of the Real" and "sporting, economic and social" leadership "the greatest sports entity of the world". If it delights the fans, that place today Florentino Perez on the same pedestal as Alfredo di Stefano, the legendary player Argentine (1953-1964), and Santiago Bernabeu, the golden age of the club President (1943-1978), the stage show and the amount of transfers play less the small world of football. Silvio Berlusconi, head of the Italian Government and President of AC Milan, spoke of "sacrilege". At FC Barcelona, the great rival of the Real, which subsequently déboursera 66 million for the services of Swedish Ibrahimovic, Joan Laporta denounces "exorbitant prices". "He knows in business but hire the best players does not mean it is know in football", adds Joan Cruyff, the former star of the team of the Netherlands of the 1970s, Barcelona heart.

A huge debt

Last dinosaur of the MGB Spanish to preside over a football club, in a time of crisis in the construction, the individual has cure. According to relatives, the funds disbursed will be amortized over three years between the increase in sponsorship contracts, TV rights, rights of image of the players whose Real holds at least 50, the sale of derivatives (swimwear...) and toured internationally. "His economic model ignores the recession through the Spain." With the recent operations, the debt of the club exceed EUR 800 million and operating costs 500 million, while turnover does not exceed 400 million. "It's unplayable," said José Maria Liébana Gay, Professor at the University of Barcelona and specialist of the accounts of Spanish football. "In fact, it prepares the privatization of the club." Sooner or later, required for a capital increase and, as the partners will not follow, it is picking up the money in the stock market! ", he predicted.

In the field as on the financial front, part is therefore probably just beginning. But, already, he said that our man would have other maps in his sleeve. It gets not! Florentino Perez plans to launch a park to topics on the grounds of the new sports city of the club, on the outskirts of Madrid. His idea: install a new enclosure of 130,000 to 140,000 seats to replace the current Santiago Bernabeu Stadium (80,000 seats). With the key, if the Town Hall gives its green light, a beautiful real estate transaction. After all, "boilerplate" also belongs to the football vocabulary...