MADRID (AP) \u2014 An edgy Real Madrid president Florentino P\u00e9rez confronted journalists in a rare news conference on Tuesday and claimed he was the victim of an \u201corganized campaign\u201d to unseat him.<\/p>\n
P\u00e9rez called for new club elections and told his opponents to present themselves and challenge him and his board of directors. <\/p>\n
\u201cI want to talk about all those I believe are behind this campaign … some people are moving in the shadows to run for elections. Well, let them run,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is the opportunity I am giving them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Usually calm and soft-spoken, P\u00e9rez appeared agitated and got into discussions with the media during the hastily scheduled news conference at the club\u2019s training center, two days after Madrid lost 2-0 at Barcelona<\/a> and saw its Catalan rival clinch its second straight Spanish league title.<\/p>\n \u201cI made this decision because of this absurd situation of campaigns against the interests of Real Madrid and especially against me,\u201d the 79-year-old P\u00e9rez said. \u201cThe results haven\u2019t been the greatest, but that has happened other times before. But they are taking advantage to attack me.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the campaign against him was being \u201corchestrated by bad journalists and non journalists,\u201d and named a few newspapers and journalists.<\/p>\n \u201cSome journalists and people want to destroy Real Madrid,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ll always defend the interest of the Madrid members.\u201d<\/p>\n The president spoke after a meeting of the club\u2019s board of directors.<\/p>\n Madrid has endured a second consecutive season without a major trophy, despite having France star Kylian Mbapp\u00e9<\/a> in the squad.<\/p>\n P\u00e9rez did not speak in detail about the team\u2019s results, saying his appearance was solely to defend Madrid club members from attacks. He did not want to talk about a potential coaching change when asked about the possibility of Jos\u00e9 Mourinho returning next season.<\/p>\n \u201cI share the frustration that this year we haven\u2019t been able to win anything,\u201d he said. \u201cI am the first to want to win everything. Let me remind you that, under my presidency, we have won 66 titles in soccer and basketball: 37 in soccer and 29 in basketball.\u201d<\/p>\n