Tension runs through the corridors of Real Madrid, made worse by a modest run of form. The Merengues have lost two of their last four matches in La Liga, dropping six points behind leaders Barcelona.
Making matters worse, some claim the first row has already erupted between club president Florentino Perez and Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho, according to the newspaper "Mundo Deportivo".
The greatest concern, it added, centres on Perez himself. Just two and a half months after his re-election as club president for the next four years, doubts have surfaced over whether he can see out a full term at the helm of Real Madrid, which ends in 2030.
Signs of exhaustion have crept into Florentino Perez. He is taking decisions that would once have been out of character, back when his influence over the club was untouchable and beyond question. Some now believe Real Madrid lacks a clear leader at the top.
For all these reasons combined, the newspaper notes, figures within Real Madrid accept they must find the right man to succeed Florentino Perez. That successor would take the reins, meet every condition the club's statutes set out for the presidency, and carry the current president's blessing. Otherwise, they fear a "coup" in the upcoming elections, one that could hand power to Enrique Riquelme, Perez's last rival in the recent vote. That is if the current president completes his term at all, and the whole affair breeds a state of uncertainty inside the club.
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