Recently retired tennis star Rafael Nadal has dismissed reports he could become the new president of Real Madrid.

Florentino Perez is under immense pressure at the Santiago Bernabeu with the club heading for another trophyless season amid rumours of dressing room discord and boardroom acrimony.

Perez did little to quell the noise around the club yesterday by calling a hastily arranged press conference at which he accused rivals Barcelona of corruption, suggested he would call a presidential election to root out the “bad people” that were undermining his work, and lambasted the assembled media.

That has led to speculation he may be on the verge of quitting with some commentators suggesting Nadal – a lifelong Madrid fan – would be the perfect replacement.

But the 39-year-old today poured cold water on those reports, saying on his social media page: “I have read reports that link me to being a possible candidate for the presidency of Real Madrid. I would like to clarify that these reports are not true.”

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