Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer champions, announced, on Tuesday, that its president, Florentino Perez,
had tested positive for “Covid 19”.
Real Madrid said in a statement that Perez, 73, had tested positive during regular checks at the club, but he
was not suffering any symptoms.
It is noteworthy that the club had announced that its French coach Zinedine Zidane had been infected with
the Coronavirus last month, before confirming his recovery on Tuesday, hours before Perez was announced.
Perez will be forced to remain in isolation, according to the LaLiga protocol, for at least 10 days from the moment
the test result is known if it comes out positive, as long as he does not show any symptoms.
Defender Nacho Fernandez also contracted the virus last week.
Perez is serving his second term as president of Real Madrid, which he started in 2009, after the first between
2000 and 2006.
Perez led Real Madrid to five LaLiga titles and the same in the Champions League.
According to the club’s website, Perez “restored Real Madrid’s international standing. He put the institution’s
financial resources in good shape, and turned it into the richest club in the world.”
But the royal team suffers this season, as it ranks third on goal difference behind its traditional rivals Barcelona,
second, and 10 points behind the second pole of the capital Atletico Madrid, which has a postponed match.
Real Madrid suffered surprising defeats in the league, the most recent of which was against Levante 1-2 and
deposited the domestic cup competition at the hands of third-class Alcoyano.
The Royal Club was also severely affected by the Corona epidemic, as its total debt reached about 901 million
euros and net debt about 355 million euros, according to Spanish media.
