‘It will be a success’ – Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez aims sly dig at Javier Tebas in Club World Cup row | OneFootball

FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup tournament has received mixed reviews, and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is the latest to have his say.

The 78-year-old granted a rare interview ahead of Madrid’s opener against Al-Hilal to endorse the tournament and aim a dig at one of his fiercest domestic critics.

Perez showed his appreciation to both FIFA and DAZN for organising and streaming the Club World Cup for free. He hailed the tournament as a celebration of football’s global appeal.

“We’ve finally achieved something we’ve been fighting for for a long time,” Perez told DAZN.

“The most global sport in the world is football. Technology has helped us play this competition, and it’s also free. It means children all over the world can watch Real Madrid.

“Football is going to change with the union of the big clubs and technology. I’ve been one of those who has fought hardest to make it a reality.”

Perez’s comments come after La Liga president Javier Tebas heavily criticised the revamped tournament.

The 62-year-old vowed to ‘ensure there are no more Club World Cups’ before slamming it as a glorified pre-season friendly.

Tebas pointed to the disappointing attendance numbers as evidence that the competition is a flop.

Chelsea’s opening match against Los Angeles FC drew just over 22,000 fans in the 71,000-seater Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, leaving a large section of the venue closed due to low demand.

Tebas admitted that he watched just 25 minutes of Chelsea’s 2-0 win but slammed the fixture for looking like ‘a pre-season friendly’, saying ‘I didn’t see any intensity’.

By contrast, Perez was far more optimistic that the tournament ‘will be a success’.