Real Madrid’s clashes with Barcelona under Florentino Pérez’s leadership total a long and storied chapter, with a record that readers might call uneven but always rich in trophies. Across Pérez’s two eras at the helm, the Merengues have faced their eternal rivals many times, and the finals linger in the memory even when the overall head-to-head is balanced more often than not by titles. This is the arc of Barcelona vs Real Madrid in the Florentino era, a narrative built as much on silverware as on rivalry.
Florentino Pérez has steered Real Madrid through two distinct periods in charge, mirroring the tenure of Barcelona’s Joan Laporta. The first spell spanned from 2000 to 2006, ending with Pérez’s resignation on February 27 of that year. The second began in 2009 and continues to the present day. In that first era, Real Madrid met Barcelona 13 times—11 in La Liga and 2 in the Champions League. The balance of wins and losses from that initial period sits near even, with 4 wins and 4 losses against the Blaugrana, and 5 draws, a 43% draw rate that underscored a tight, even contest.
Among those early duels, a standout moment was a Champions League semi-final win at Camp Nou, a 2-0 victory with Zidane and McManaman on the scoresheet that paved the way to Madrid’s Ninth European title. The sting of a 0-3 home defeat at the Bernabéu a few months earlier—courtesy of Eto’o and Ronaldinho—remains a painful memory from that era. Across the first phase, Real Madrid claimed seven titles in total under Pérez’s leadership, spread across several competitions: two La Liga titles (2000-01 and 2002-03), two Spanish Super Cups (2001 and 2003), one Champions League (2001-02), one European Super Cup (2002), and the 2002 Intercontinental or World Club Championship crown.
Further down the history lane, the second phase—beginning with Pérez’s return in 2009—has seen Real Madrid facing Barcelona more often and in more competitions. The tally in this period climbs when considering league, cup, Champions League, and the Spanish Super Cup: 48 matches, yielding 16 wins for Madrid, 21 defeats, and 10 draws. The goal difference tilts toward Barcelona with 85 goals conceded by Madrid to 70 scored for Madrid’s side, reflecting Barcelona’s stronger run in this stretch.
During these years, Madrid’s approach under Pérez included decisive, sometimes brutal, results that shaped the rivalry: notable 5-0 and 5-1 triumphs in domestic or European campaigns, a 0-4 loss during the 2015-2016 season, and a 0-4 defeat at Camp Nou on March 20, 2022, at the hands of Xavi’s Barcelona. Yet the side also enjoyed blooms of success, especially in cups where Madrid lifted major prizes. The Copa del Rey double in 2010-11 and 2013-14 stood out, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Ángel Di María, and Gareth Bale among the key contributors in those campaigns. The 2017 Spanish Super Cup title also shone as a highlight of this era.
Altogether, Pérez’s Real Madrid accumulation stands at twenty-five trophies across La Liga, Copa del Rey, the Spanish Super Cup, the Champions League, the European Super Cup, and the Club World Cup. The breakdown includes four La Liga titles (2011-12, 2016-17, 2019-20, 2021-22), three Copa del Rey victories (2010-11, 2013-14, 2022-23), four Spanish Super Cups (2012, 2017, 2020, 2022), five Champions League triumphs (2013-14, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2022), four European Super Cups (2014, 2016, 2017, 2022), and five Club World Cups (2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2022).
In total, Real Madrid, under Florentino Pérez, has faced Barcelona 60 times in official competition, recording 20 wins, 15 draws, and 25 losses. Across the two eras combined, Madrid has gathered 32 senior trophies in its football section, underscoring the enduring, though intensely contested, rivalry that defines one of European football’s most storied rivalries.
Note: the above reflects a historically grounded synthesis of the two tenures and the matches played between the two clubs, incorporating widely reported results and seasons. This summary serves as a compact retrospective for supporters and analysts seeking to understand how the Florentino Pérez era shaped the Madrid-Barça dynamic. [Citation: Goal.]