1,300 students from the 18th class that attended Real Madrid Graduate School - Universidad Europea received diplomas at the Santiago Bernabéu under the direction of Florentino Pérez. Björn Gulden, CEO of Adidas, had the position of the class mentor.
Florentino Perez gave a speech for the students as he first spoke about how hard the students had worked to graduate from the school. He said, “Welcome to the Santiago Bernabéu to celebrate this graduation ceremony of the eighteenth class of the Real Madrid Graduate School – Universidad Europea. The last time we held this event our stadium was in 2019, five years ago now. First, the pandemic, then the development works, have prevented us from being able to enjoy this temple of football and world sport in this way.”
He added, “I would like to congratulate you on your graduation. You have got here thanks to your hard work and your talent. Since its inauguration in 2006, this school has always had a determined international vocation and you are a good example of this. In these 18 years, some 17,000 students have passed through our classrooms and, in this last year, 80% of you came from other countries. The Real Madrid Graduate School – Universidad Europea symbolises a blending of cultures and unity between peoples.”
“They are sacred principles that have marked the path to follow” : Florentino Perez
He spoke about the beliefs and the strong foundations of the club. He said, “From this point, you will understand the values of an institution that, over the course of its 122 years of history, has come to be the most beloved and admired in the world. It's because Real Madrid's successes are based on solid, constant foundations. They are sacred principles that have marked the path to follow and have forged the legendary history of our club: hard work, effort, sacrifice, continuous improvement, camaraderie, humility, respect and solidarity.”
The President of Real Madrid concluded by saying that, “You have learned that Real Madrid is a feeling and an attitude to life, it's a fundamental way of addressing problems and adversity. We are a club that belongs to the hearts of the people, regardless of their origins, cultures, languages, ethnicities, religions or social condition.”