Florentino Pérez rages in the Metropolitano box after spotting Riquelme

The Madrid derby produced an unexpected episode away from the pitch. Florentino Pérez, president of Real Madrid, reacted with visible anger in the presidential box at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano when he learned that Enrique Riquelme, the candidate he defeated in the last club elections, was among the invited guests. The story was reported by Paco González on 'Tiempo de Juego' and Juanma Castaño on 'El Partidazo', both on Cadena COPE, during the match that Atlético de Madrid ended up winning 2-1.

• Florentino Pérez was furious when he found out that Enrique Riquelme had been invited to the Metropolitano presidential box.
• The incident took place during the directors' lunch before the derby.
• The Real Madrid president threatened to leave the stadium if he ran into Riquelme.
• Those around him managed to calm him down and he stayed to watch the whole match.
• Atlético de Madrid won the derby 2-1, but the box incident dominated part of the post-match debate.

What happened at the directors' lunch before the derby

The episode began before the ball started rolling. During the lunch that brought together the directors in the area just outside the box, someone informed Florentino Pérez that Enrique Riquelme had been invited to the presidential box. It was at that moment when the Real Madrid president asked what the point of having Riquelme in the box was and made a huge scene, according to Juanma Castaño's account.

Florentino Pérez attended the Metropolitano because he has a good relationship with Enrique Cerezo, president of Atlético de Madrid. The same cannot be said of Miguel Ángel Gil, with whom the Real Madrid boss does not enjoy the same rapport. That difference in treatment set the context for an evening that ended with Real Madrid conceding all three points in stoppage time.

How Florentino Pérez reacted to Riquelme's invitation

Florentino flies into a rage and says he is off, that he is leaving. If he runs into him at any point, he is leaving the box. They calm him down, Florentino stays for the match... but he makes a massive scene asking why on earth Riquelme is in the presidential box.

The people accompanying the Real Madrid president managed to ease the tension. After the initial outburst, Florentino Pérez decided to stay at the stadium and watched the match from his seat. The scene nevertheless exposed how uncomfortable the businessman Enrique Riquelme makes the current Real Madrid leadership.

Who is Enrique Riquelme and why does he upset Florentino Pérez

Enrique Riquelme is a Spanish businessman who ran for the presidency of Real Madrid in the last elections held by the club. Florentino Pérez won those elections and has kept a distant relationship with his rival ever since. Riquelme's presence in such a symbolic space as the Metropolitano presidential box was particularly awkward for the Real Madrid president.

The fact that Riquelme appeared as a guest in the box of Real Madrid's biggest rival sparked debate about whether that invitation was appropriate. For Florentino Pérez, seeing his electoral rival in a space reserved for directors was hard to accept in the middle of a Madrid derby.

From box tension to a derby settled at the death

The match went down a completely different path from the one in the box. Atlético de Madrid won 2-1 with a dramatic late finish and took three hugely valuable points in the LaLiga title race. The home side celebrated the win in front of their fans, while in the box the pre-match tension was reduced to an anecdote once Florentino Pérez's anger had subsided.

The defeat left Real Madrid needing to bounce back in the following rounds to avoid losing ground in the table. Atlético, for their part, confirmed their strong form in derbies played at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, a stadium that suits Diego Simeone's side particularly well.

Florentino Pérez and his relationship with Atlético's leadership

The box incident also highlighted the different relationships Florentino Pérez has with Atlético de Madrid's top executives. With Enrique Cerezo there is a rapport that makes it natural for the Real Madrid president to attend the Metropolitano box. The opposite is true with Miguel Ángel Gil, whom Florentino Pérez prefers to avoid.

That backdrop helps explain why Riquelme's invitation triggered such a reaction. In an environment where Florentino Pérez already felt some institutional discomfort, the news that his electoral rival would be sharing the space was the perfect trigger for a moment of visible anger that did not go unnoticed.

Frequently asked questions about the Metropolitano box incident