Florentino Pérez rallies troops with impassioned speech: “Nobody ever gives up here at Real Madrid”

Florentino Pérez took the stage surrounded by club members during Real Madrid’s annual ceremony honoring longtime club members.

The event, held in the club’s Basketball Pavilion before more than a thousand attendees, celebrated supporters who have maintained their membership for 50 or 60 consecutive years. In total, 730 gold and diamond‑studded pins were awarded — 440 gold pins for 50 years of membership and 290 gold‑and‑diamond pins for 60 years.

Pérez and club legend Pirri personally handed out the honors, shortly after the president delivered a brief but pointed speech: “No one here gives up. You know we’ll keep working to add more titles to the greatest trophy collection in sport. But we must also value things properly and understand how difficult it is to win each championship.”

Florentino Pérez’s speech

Here is the president’s speech in full:

“This is one of the most emotional events we celebrate at our club. We’re sharing a truly special moment — one I’m sure you’ll never forget. Today is about thanking you for your loyalty, your commitment, and for dedicating an entire lifetime to Real Madrid.

“You will receive the gold pins — and the gold‑and‑diamond pins — that recognize your uninterrupted membership for 50 and 60 years.

“As president of Real Madrid, I feel enormous pride in all of you. I’m sure today you’re thinking of your parents, grandparents, family members, and friends who taught you what it means to be a Madridista. Being part of Real Madrid is a way of life built on hard work, sacrifice, constant self‑improvement, humility, respect, teamwork, and solidarity — the values that define our history.

“Fifty or even 60 years as Real Madrid members is extraordinary, but it also carries a responsibility: passing on to new generations what it means to belong to this club — the club of 26 European Cups, with 15 in soccer and 11 in basketball.

“You are the driving force that keeps this crest the most admired in the world. Your loyalty inspires us to keep working so that the dreams of Madridistas everywhere continue to come true.

“You, who have dedicated your lives to Real Madrid, know better than anyone that no one here ever gives up. We will keep fighting, year after year, until the very end, to add more titles to the greatest trophy record in sports.

“In the last 15 years, we’ve won 58 titles — including six Champions Leagues in soccer and three in basketball. That speaks to our level of demand, but it also reminds us to appreciate the difficulty of every victory.

“At the same time, we’ve built this Real Madrid City that amazes everyone who visits. And we’re completing the most ambitious transformation of the Bernabéu in modern history — a stadium designed for comfort, safety, and year‑round events, unaffected by weather, and now a modern icon and major tourist destination. A source of pride for Madrid and for Spain.

“The Real Madrid Foundation is also a source of pride. I always say it is the soul of our club. It operates in more than 100 countries, with 1,400 social‑education projects that support over 400,000 people each year, especially vulnerable children at risk of social exclusion.

“We should be proud of our Real Madrid — a club that continues to lead the world’s most prestigious economic and sporting rankings.

“You are the strength of this club. Thank you for contributing to Real Madrid’s unity and stability, and for everything you’ve given throughout your lives. And thank you personally for the affection you show me every day. It is an honor to have your support as we continue leading the greatest club in history.”

A ceremony full of history

The gold pins honor 50 years of uninterrupted membership; the gold‑and‑diamond pins recognize 60 years. This year, 440 members received gold pins and 290 received gold‑and‑diamond pins.

Those receiving the diamond version joined the club during the 1965–66 season, the year of Real Madrid’s sixth European Cup — a team that included Pirri, now the club’s Honorary President.

Meanwhile, the 1975–76 season marked the beginning of the Bernabéu’s legendary comebacks, including the iconic 5–1 win over Derby County.

It was a morning filled with emotion — and a celebration of the history that these long-serving members helped to build.

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