Florentino Pérez is re-elected president of Real Madrid amid controversy

Florentino Pérez survived Real Madrid's first genuine presidential contest in two decades on Sunday night (7), in the early hours of Monday (8) in Spain, guaranteeing another four years in charge, but with more than a third of voting members supporting an opponent who criticized his ownership plans.

The 79-year-old Spanish construction magnate was declared the winner by Real Madrid TV, while his rival, renewable energy magnate Enrique Riquelme, admitted defeat just over an hour before the official count.

Pérez won 65% of the votes, according to the club's official count, while Riquelme won 35% of the total 33,555 members who voted at Real Madrid's training center in Valdebebas, on the outskirts of Madrid.

"I would like to congratulate Florentino Pérez's campaign on its victory. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without elections," Riquelme told reporters.

Pérez called elections on May 12, despite still having two years in office, after a second consecutive season without titles for the biggest Champions League champion and with arch-rivals Barcelona being two consecutive LaLiga champions.

In a victory speech at a hotel in the Spanish capital, he declared the result "extraordinary" and said Real Madrid "set an example to the world of transparency and harmony."

"This was a great day for Real Madrid. We won in all categories, that is, in all age groups. And we achieved the second best result in the history of Real Madrid elections", said Pérez.

Pérez first became president of Real Madrid in 2000 and has renewed his mandate five times since 2009, running unopposed. The club has not held a formal presidential election since 2006, when Ramón Calderón won by a small margin.

In preparation for the vote, Pérez promised to appoint José Mourinho as coach and stated that he would spend 150 million euros on a player, whose name would be revealed on Tuesday (9), an amount that would represent a record for the club.

He also stated that defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries would be his first signings if elected.

In a statement to the CMVM, the regulatory body for the Portuguese football market, Benfica recognized Pérez's interest in Mourinho, stating that any signing of the Portuguese coach would require the payment of 15 million euros to terminate the contract.

Riquelme tried to remove Pérez with promises to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri, both from Manchester City, while presenting himself as the candidate who would bring together the members of a club that, according to him, had distanced itself from them.

He promised to transform Valdebebas into a social center with a hotel, swimming pools, gym and a 15,000-capacity arena for the Real Madrid basketball team, which could also host concerts.

The campaign also targeted Pérez's proposal, presented last November, to create a subsidiary that would allow external investors to buy a stake of around 5% in the club. Riquelme stated that he "vehemently rejects" the plan and accused Pérez of wanting to "privatize the club".

Pérez stated that Real Madrid's partner ownership model would remain intact and that the membership would have "a real and tangible value". Any changes to the club's statutes would need to be approved at an extraordinary general meeting.

Real Madrid recorded revenue of 1.19 billion euros in the 2024-25 season and is valued by Forbes at US$6.75 billion, the highest value in world football.

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Source: CNN