Real Madrid president Florentino Perez admits club buys big names to sell lots of shirts
Cristiano Ronaldo is a case in point - but actually the Ballon d'Or winner lags behind Lionel Messi in the shirt-selling stakes
REAL MADRID buys players who sell shirts, admits president Florentino Perez.
Even so, only Cristiano Ronaldo appears in the world top ten shirt sellers' list for 2016/17.
Despite Ronaldo holding the Ballon d'Or it's a list topped by Barcelona megastar Lionel Messi, with Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic placed third and fourth respectively.
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As for Real, Perez has given an interview to Columbia Business School professor Steven Mandis - to be aired on the BBC World Service on Wednesday - in which he reveals the secret's behind the richest club in the world's commercial methods.
"People understand the obvious – that we sign big players like Ronaldo, [Zinedine] Zidane and [Luis] Figo," he explained.
TOP EIGHT PLAYERS WITH HIGHEST SHIRT SALES 2016/17
1 Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
2 Christiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
3 Paul Pogba (Manchester United)
4 Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)
5 Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
6 Neymar (Barcelona)
6 David De Gea (Manchester United)
8 Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
"But after the players there is the economic sports equation.
"So big that it risked losing its status as a member-owned club. But the club has to belong to its members and not belong to just one individual.'
Without a wealthy private backer Perez says Real has no option but to consider the marketing worth of every new signing.
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It's not always the most popular of calls.
Last year, former coach Carlo Ancelotti called the signing of 16-year-old Martin Odegaard and the pressure to play him a "public relations move".
TOP 10 CLUBS WITH BIGGEST SHIRT SALES 2016
1 Manchester United 2,850,000 adidas Paul Pogba (top seller)
2 Real Madrid 2,290,000 adidas Cristiano Ronaldo
3 Barcelona 1,980,000 Nike Lionel Messi
4 Chelsea 1,650,000 adidas Eden Hazard
5 Bayern Munich 1,500,000 adidas Robert Lewandowski
6 Arsenal 1,225,000 Puma Mesut Ozil
7 Juventus 850,000 adidas Gonzalo Higuain
8 Liverpool 505,000 New Balance Philippe Coutinho
9 PSG 685,000 Nike Angel di Maria
10 AC Milan 650,000 adidas Keisuke Honda
And former Real coach Vicente Del Bosque's right-hand man Toni Grande suggested Perez had given the order for Fernando Morientes to be left out of the 2002 European Super Cup final.
Grande said: "An hour before the game against Feyenoord Jorge Valdano came in and said to Vicente: 'Tell Fernando [Morientes] to not get changed because he is being transferred. It's an order from the president'."
Eventually, an influx of the so-called Galaticos such as the Brazilian Ronaldo – who replaced Morientes in the team – that helped Madrid overtake Manchester United in the football rich list.
Professor Mandis also lifts the lid on Real Madrid's sporting and financial success through a series of conversations with fans, players, coaches and board members.
* 'Inside Real Madrid' is on the BBC World Service on Wednesday, February 8 at 7.30pm.