Real Madrid President Florentino Perez defends James Rodriguez purchase and Di Maria sale

An archive image of Perez with Di Maria

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez has defended the club’s summer transfer window activity amidst criticism from all quarters. The Champions of Europe bought World Cup Golden Boot holder James Rodriguez and title winner Toni Kroos while letting go off Angel Di Maria and Xabi Alonso.

The coincidence of Real Madrid buying Rodriguez soon after Perez's company ACS agreeing a 692 million-euro deal to build a motorway in the player’s country Colombia around the same time was recently pointed out by Mundo Deportivo.

The Ultras are to blame

Speaking ahead of the club’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), the 67-year-old blamed the ‘Ultras Sur’, the radical group among the club fan-base that has been banned from the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

"Thirty-five percent of ACS' business is in Australia and there is no Australian in the squad," Perez said. "This is information put forward by the thugs [Ultras Sur]. While I am president, the thugs and delinquents are not going to return. Many are not socios and what they want is to dominate Madrid as happens in France and Italy."

On Di Maria and Xabi Alonso’s exits

The former politician claimed that the club sold the two superstars for purely footballing reasons.

"Di Maria has left because we could not reach an agreement," he said. "It seems those who leave are always 'the best,' and whoever comes in is questioned. Xabi Alonso asked us urgently to leave. The players who left went for institutional reasons, because the interests of the players were not the same as those of the club."

Does James Rodriguez fit in at Real Madrid?

He admitted that the club bought the Colombian on the basis of his World Cup performance and admitted he didn’t know much about his footballing abilities

"I do not know how James plays," he said. "But he had a great World Cup and we wanted him here."