After his team’s qualification for the Champions League quarter-finals, Florentino Pérez unlocked a fortune to thank them for eliminating Atlético Madrid.
Step by step, Real Madrid progresses in the Champions League. Although the competition has changed format and become tougher, Florentino Pérez’s players are working wonders. Having been in the playoffs after the group stage, Carlo Ancelotti and his men brought out their best game by eliminating Manchester City and Atlético Madrid in the round of 16. Given the rivalry between the two Madrid teams, this qualification made headlines in the tabloids, also due to the controversy surrounding a penalty (from Julián Álvarez) that was cancelled for double contact. A few days after this match, which sealed the team’s participation in the quarter-finals against Arsenal, Cope made a major announcement.
Florentino Pérez’s generous gesture to his players
According to information gathered by the Spanish radio, Florentino Pérez granted a bonus of 250,000 euros to each player for their qualification. Very pleased with the achievement of his team, the 78-year-old president ordered the disbursement of this enormous amount, given the number of players in the Madrid squad in the Champions League this season. In Spain, this gesture is surprising, especially since it’s a round of 16 match, an occasion where such rewards are quite rare.
It is important to note that this gesture from the Madrid boss is motivated by two reasons: to encourage the players for their efforts and also to let them benefit from the financial advantages offered by the new format of UEFA’s flagship competition. Indeed, seeing the dense schedule of his team, which has no fewer than 72 matches this season, Florentino Pérez wanted to reward the effort put in so far. Mentally and physically, with injuries, Carlo Ancelotti’s players are suffering greatly but are fighting on all fronts.
The big win since the start of the competition
With two months to go before the end of the season, the Madrileños are still in with a chance of achieving a treble (La Liga, the Champions League, Copa del Rey). Regarding another factor, it should be noted that “UEFA has increased the prizes awarded to teams participating in the competition by 21%.” Thus, after qualifying for the quarter-finals, Real Madrid pocketed 12.5 million euros. Since the start of the competition this season, the amount earned by Florentino Pérez’s club already exceeds 60 million euros. It is therefore only right to share this with the players, who are the main contributors to this success.
It should be noted that if they win the title on 31 May, Real Madrid would exceed 100 million euros earned in the Champions League, as our colleagues at the “COPE” radio station have pointed out. On 8 April, they will need to make a good trip to Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium for the first leg of the quarter-finals before the return leg a week later. After having beaten Manchester City home and away in the playoffs this season, Carlo Ancelotti’s team can repeat the feat against the Gunners, who remain a top team in England and on the European stage.
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