Over the course of four days, students have enjoyed and learnt from various club legends and leading executives from the sports industry.
The 2026 White Week atEscuela Universitaria Real Madrid Universidad Europea has come to an end. It has been a four-day event, held in the Real Madrid City auditorium and moderated by Emilio Butragueño, the club’s Director of Institutional Relations, during which students have enjoyed and learnt from various club legends and leading executives from the sports industry.
Day One
Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid Universidad Europea's ‘White Week’ kicked off with four legends from our club: Roberto Carlos, Sergio Rodríguez, Felipe Reyes and Rudy Fernández. Roberto Carlos opened this year’s event: “It’s an honour to be an ambassador for this club and to share its story with the world. Off the pitch, you see the greatness of this crest. Here, when we win, we celebrate, but the most important thing is the mentality of this institution. Real Madrid is unique.”
Sergio Rodríguez, Felipe Reyes and Rudy Fernández brought the first day of White Week to a close by talking about the basketball section. Sergio Rodríguez, our club’s basketball sporting director, said: “Madrid is a cornerstone of our careers. When we look back on our best moments, they’re always linked to Real Madrid, like those two EuroLeague titles we won. We’re very lucky.” For his part, Felipe Reyes said: “It’s a source of pride that we’ve been able to give so much to Real Madrid fans.” And finally, Rudy Fernández added: “Being part of this has been a source of pride, as has being able to end our sporting careers at the club that has given us so much. Our commitment as players was immense.”
The first day of White Week also featured Silvia Montes-Jovellar, Director of Projects at the Real Madrid Foundation, who, alongside Alaia and Mauro, members of the Real Madrid Foundation’s social sports schools, spoke about the important work carried out by the heart and soul of the club. To round off the day, Rodrigo Marín, Director of Strategy and Corporate Projects at Real Madrid, focused his talk on the state of the football industry and the Real Madrid formula.
Day Two
Marcelo was one of the stars of the second day of White Week for students at Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid Universidad Europea. The Brazilian legend, who won 25 titles (including 5 Champions League titles) in 546 matches with our team, said: “From the moment I arrived, I was shown the greatness of this club. Ultimately, being part of the best team in the world makes the victories even greater, and that allows me to reach more people”.
Teresa Perales, winner of 28 Paralympic medals and recipient of the 2021 Princess of Asturias Award for Sports, shared her experience: “I am very happy to have had such a long career, and I carry that pride with me every day. Success is fleeting, and whenever I win something, I always think about the next challenge.”
The second day of Semana Blanca also featured a talk by Real Madrid Women’s sporting director, Ana Rossell, entitled Women’s Football: the strength to keep growing. Finally, Juan Contreras, Global Marketing Director at Adidas Real Madrid BU, and Álvaro Vitores, Sponsorship Activation Director at Real Madrid, took part with their talk Adidas: how we build a strategic partnership together.
Day Three
Toni Kroos and Sergio Scariolo, two legends of world sport, took centre stage on matchday three. Kroos, who won 23 trophies in 10 years at the club – including five Champions League titles – and was a World Cup winner with Germany, said: “I retired because I never wanted to reach the point where I didn’t feel so good and started having physical problems. The feel for the ball never leaves me; I still have it.”
The Real Madrid basketball coach, a La Liga winner with our team, a world champion and four-time European champion with Spain, opened the day by talking about his return to the Real Madrid dugout: “There was something a bit special, a bond with the president that had lasted for many, many years, an emotional one, above all. On a professional level, I wanted to put myself to the test again on a day-to-day basis with a demanding club that has high aspirations. I liked the idea of stepping out of my comfort zone.”
The third day of White Week also featured Héctor Argüelles, the NBA’s Director of Business Operations for Europe and the Middle East, who spoke on ‘The NBA in Europe’; and Víctor Alfaro, Managing Director of Podoactiva and podiatrist for Real Madrid’s first team, whose talk was entitled ‘It all starts with a step’.
Day Four
White Week at Escuela Universitaria Real Madrid Universidad Europea concluded with presentations by José Ángel Sánchez, CEO of Real Madrid, who focused his talk on ‘The constant pursuit of excellence’; Israel García Álvarez, Director of Digital Strategy at Real Madrid, who discussed ‘A Real Digital Transformation’; Francisco Panadero, the club’s Director of Infrastructure and Asset Development, who spoke on ‘Asset Development: Added Value of Assets’; and Rafa de los Santos, General Manager of the NFL in Spain.
