The Real Madrid president appeared on La Sexta on Wednesday, a day after a notorious press conference in which he announced new club elections, attacked the Spanish media and claimed that Barcelona had cost Real Madrid seven league titles through payments to referee official José María Enríquez Negreira over two decades.
On the season's failure across all competitions — eliminated by Albacete in the Copa del Rey, beaten by Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final, knocked out by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals and now finishing second in LaLiga 14 points adrift of the champions.
"The origin of this is the Club World Cup. We were not able to recover physically, we were playing every three days and we did not look after the physical condition."
He rejected the idea that appointing Xabi Alonso — who left for Madrid after winning back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Bayer Leverkusen and started brilliantly, at one point placing Madrid seven points clear of Barcelona in the table — was a mistake.
"No. The Club World Cup happened and the physical condition suffered. Then we made a change, improved a little, and fell again."
He tried to minimise a second consecutive trophyless season by pointing to the previous campaign.
"Last year we won two titles. Does that no longer count? Do we have to win the Champions League and LaLiga? Then the majority of clubs should give up. They should wait."
Mbappé, criticised extensively for a second season that has failed to match the standards set by Madrid's recent superstars despite winning the European Golden Boot, received a firm public defence from his president.
"I do not talk to players about the manager. I only talk about them with their families. I do not talk with Mbappé. I greet him at training. Mbappé is the best player at Madrid right now — they gave him the Golden Boot. There are things we need to improve, but I am not going to get into that. I think he has understood what Real Madrid means. He has scored a lot of goals."
On Vinícius Júnior's contract, which expires in June 2027 and has been a source of prolonged uncertainty, Pérez delegated and declined to commit to a timeline.
"He seems to me one of the great players Madrid have. The last two European Cups, he won them for us. The negotiation is pending. There is no hurry. But it has to be the sporting management who speak."
On whether Mourinho would return to take the job, Pérez was warm but non-committal.
"He was here and he raised the competitiveness. They say I speak with Mourinho. I did not speak with him even when he came here with Benfica this season. This is not the moment for that. I like all coaches."
On summer signings, Pérez channelled the Galáctico era to signal ambition.
"There will be signings. We have always signed exciting players. Figo, Zidane, Ronaldo, Beckham. Then came Cristiano, Kaká, Benzema. I went to Benzema's home to bring him here. If I see a good one, I go after him. I signed all the Ballon d'Or winners."
Asked about Barcelona's Lamine Yamal — a name offered almost rhetorically.
"Of course I like him. How could I not? But given what we have with Barcelona right now — I do not want a relationship with a club that has been paying referees for two decades."