Elections in al facets can be a bit chaotic. Those who seek to win will do just about anything to gain the upper hand and to ultimately win. Real Madrid will be holding a presidential election on 7 June. Both candidates are making crazy promises.
The Real Madrid presidential race is turning nasty. Incumbent Florentino Pérez and challenger, Enrique Riquelme, are now engaged in a bragging match over ever more outlandish transfer pledges and reports suggest they may be resorting to dirty tricks.
Luis Figo's move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2000 remains one of the most spectacular transfer sagas in football history. When Florentino Pérez stood for the Real Madrid presidency and vowed to prise the Portuguese star from hated rivals FC Barcelona, many observers were sceptical.
As an outsider, "nobody" Pérez—a 53-year-old former politician and property developer who had already lost to Ramón Mendoza in the 1994 presidential elections—still faced the late, popular former president, Lorenzo Sanz. Even after his sensational transfer announcement, few experts expected him to actually be elected – including Figo's camp.
During the European Championship, Figo dismissed the rumours with almost frantic insistence, citing his existing contract with the Catalans and pledging to stay. His calculation was simple: if the favourite, Lorenzo Sanz, won the Madrid elections, the deal Figo had struck with Pérez would be rendered moot.
Yet, Real Madrid's roughly 80 000 members had other ideas. Seduced by Perez's promises, they installed the property developer as president by a slim margin of just over 3 000 votes. Figo duly moved to Madrid and was declared persona non grata in Barcelona but, in hindsight, Perez probably couldn't have cared less: his bold manoeuvre had landed him the prize he coveted—the presidency of arguably the world's most glamorous club.
More than 25 years have passed since then and apart from a brief hiatus between 2006 and 2009, Pérez has remained the most powerful man at Real Madrid. As in 2000, presidential elections are looming in Madrid, and the candidates' personnel promises are once again centre stage.
The immediate trigger was an extraordinary press conference in which the incumbent president unleashed a broadside against his critics, unwanted journalists, referees, and, naturally, FC Barcelona. He declared he feared no ballot and would submit to the members' vote; convinced he was still the right man for the job.
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In these challenging sporting times, he aims to push through several ambitious—some say risky—changes, using a fresh mandate to strengthen his grip on power. Having raised the candidacy bar over the years—requiring at least 20 years of membership and 10–15% of the club's turnover in equity—Perez may not have foreseen that Enrique Riquelme, now seen as a serious contender, would emerge.
Less than 24 hours after Perez's outburst, Riquelme stepped out of the shadows. In an open letter published across Spanish media, he offered dialogue, declared his own candidacy and urged a measured, well-timed election process.
The 37-year-old Spaniard's candidacy is now official and this Sunday he will face Perez in the ballot. Riquelme, a seasoned energy-sector executive with Cox Energy—a firm specialising in solar photovoltaics with projects across Mexico, Chile, Panama, Colombia and Spain—has long been known in Madrid's footballing circles.
His name has long been familiar in Madrid's football circles: as early as 2021, there were rumours that he wanted to challenge Pérez for his position but that talk never progressed beyond speculation.
This year's presidential election at Real Madrid pits two very different generations and leadership styles against each other. The candidates also diverge sharply on the club's future direction.
Riquelme has already taken a clear stand against Perez's proposed plan to sell club shares to investors in order to avoid falling behind in the financial arms race with the big Premier League clubs and investor-owned clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain.
He is committed to ensuring "that Real Madrid continues to belong 100% to its supporters," the 37-year-old explained in a statement. He also wants to safeguard the rights of the 'socios', opposing Perez's proposed 100 000-member cap and any special perks for long-serving fans.
On the personnel front, both men are effectively competing to outdo each other with "gifts" for the fans. Incumbent Perez is dangling the prospect of Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate, a second, unnamed defensive signing and a striker he claims is on a par with Cristiano Ronaldo.
Riquelme, by contrast, promises to sign not only Rodri—long on the club's internal wish list—but also his current Man City team-mate ,Erling Haaland.
On this front, at least, Riquelme looks set to win over fans with the Norwegian's star power, even though significant resistance remained as of Wednesday night. First, Haaland's father, Alf-Inge, and his agent, Rafaela Pimenta, raised objections and then Manchester City themselves threatened legal action.
Riquelme also plans sweeping changes in sporting management, with club legend Raúl González Blanco earmarked for the role of sporting director. The former Spain striker and ex-keeper, Iker Casillas, are among Riquelme's most high-profile backers.
Perez, backed by business strategist, Anas Laghrari, would leave the role unfilled and, instead, bring Jose Mourinho back to the Bernabéu as a "team manager." On Thursday, however, Benfica issued a statement confirming that, should Perez prevail, he "has the firm intention" to sign the Portuguese for a fixed fee of €15 million.
Riquelme has little faith in the Portuguese and, should he win, intends to appoint a "more sustainable" coach, with a deal already agreed. That coach is said to be exactly what Real Madrid supporters want and what a club of its stature deserves. Reports suggest Riquelme admires Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, though Jürgen Klopp's name continues to circulate among fans hoping for a return to the Bernabéu.
Manchester City are considering legal action against the Real Madrid presidential candidate for unauthorised use of Erling Haaland's name and image rights during a recent television appearance.
The legal threat stems from the following specific events:
- The Claim: Spanish businessman and Real Madrid presidential hopeful Enrique Riquelme appeared on television promoting his election campaign by holding up a Real Madrid shirt with Haaland's name and the number nine.
- The Promises: Riquelme claimed the Norwegian striker has a contractual release clause, wants to move to the Spanish club and would be his star signing if he wins the election. He also made similar claims regarding City midfielder Rodri.
- The Firm Denials: Both Manchester City and Haaland's representatives (his father, Alfie and agent, Rafaela Pimenta) issued swift, joint denials. They confirmed that Haaland’s 2025 contract extension contains no release clause and there is "no chance" of him leaving the club.
- The Legal Action: Manchester City announced they are considering legal action over the illicit use of their player's image to boost a political campaign, noting that no such agreements or transfer talks have taken place
Sunday's election will show whether Real Madrid members are swayed by the candidates' heavy name-dropping. On posters across Madrid, the 79-year-old incumbent presents himself as the guardian of success, touting his past triumphs; while his challenger promises a new era for the club.
In the past 20 years, no rival has come this close to ending Perez's reign, which may explain why Spanish media report that the incumbent has deployed a social-media campaign involving hundreds of bots. According to these outlets, more than 29 000 posts have attacked Riquelme while boosting Perez.
The 79-year-old is clearly still willing to use every possible means to guarantee his re-election, just as he did over 25 years ago.
To me, the men slould've had their ducks in a row before making these statements and promises. If these can't be fulfilled, there are going to be furious people who will want swift and accurate punishments. You shouldn't write checks that you can't cash.