Real Madrid`s Perez denies ultimatum over Mourinho

Madrid: Real Madrid president Florentino Perez called a press conference to deny stories written about the club in the Spanish press.

Perez reacted to a front page headline story printed in Spanish sports paper Marca which stated he has met with goalkeeper Iker Casillas and defender Sergio Ramos Tuesday and that the pair said that unless coach Jose Mourinho left the club at the end of the season, they would ask for transfers. The story stunned Spain and Perez acted quickly to try, at a press conference held in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium on Thursday, reject Marca`s claims. "It is totally false that in the meeting that the two captains gave anything like an ultimatum. What has happened is so serious that I am breaking my rule of not speaking. We had a fine meeting and what has been written is not true," said Perez. "I am denying false information which has the objective of destabilising the most prestigious institution in the world." Whether or not Real Madrid is the `most prestigious institution in the world,` may be open to debate but it is the football club which earned the most money in 2012 according to Football Money League. Real Madrid earned 513.6 million euros ($686 million) in the 2011-12 season, more than FC Barcelona, who were the second highest earners with 483 million euros ($646.7 million) and Manchester United, who earned $527 million from marketing, TV, prize and gate money. However, this also highlights the inequality in the Spanish game due to the uneven distribution of TV rights while there are seven sides from the English Premier League in the top-20 earners, Real Madrid and Barca are Spain`s only representatives, although Valencia is 21st. IANS