The construction of glory and immortality in leaders of sport organizations: The case of Real Madrid President, Florentino Pérez

Abstract

Introduction: While most soccer mandataries feel comfortable with developing a strong reputation, Florentino Pérez, following the steps of another mythical Real Madrid President, Santiago Bernabeu, seems to have that thirst for glory, a sort of immortality only reserved to a few selected players in the world of soccer. Methodology: This conceptual paper collects and reviews existing scholarship on the idea of glory and connects it to the world of corporate reputation and sports. Sixty-five academic references have been attributed, coming from books, journal articles, and newspapers. The authors also had in-depth interviews with employees at Real Madrid and one of Pérez’s biographers. Results: The idea of glory and immortality in leaders of old has been replaced by other terms, lime reputation, fame, and celebrity. Nonetheless, the world of sports – where epics and a sense of victory are explicit – offers these leaders the possibility of achieving a sense of glory. Discussions: The case of Florentino Pérez offers reason for reflection in this regard and is the proof that the sense of glory has not been lost, at least in the sports world. Conclusions: Sport leaders, such as Florentino Pérez, have built glory thanks to deeds, good press and architecture.