Florentino Perez has secured another four years as president of Real Madrid after defeating renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme in the club’s first contested presidential election in nearly two decades.
Perez won 65% of the vote, according to official results released by the club, while Riquelme secured 35% from the 33,555 members who cast ballots at Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training complex on Sunday.
The result extends Perez’s long reign at the club, which began in 2000. He had renewed his mandate five times since 2009 without facing opposition, while the club had not held a formal presidential vote since 2006.
“I would like to congratulate Florentino Perez’s campaign on its victory. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without an election,” Riquelme told reporters after conceding defeat.
Perez, who called the election despite having two years remaining on his current mandate, described the outcome as a strong endorsement from members following a season in which Real Madrid failed to win a major trophy and rivals Barcelona retained the LaLiga title.
“This has been a great day for Real Madrid. We have won across the board, that is to say, across all age groups. And we have achieved the second-best result in the history of Real Madrid elections,” Perez said.
The 79-year-old construction magnate declared the result “extraordinary” and said the club had “set an example to the world of transparency and harmony”.
During the campaign, Perez promised significant investment in the squad, including the appointment of Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho and a €150 million signing that he said would be revealed on Tuesday. He also named defenders Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries as potential additions.
Riquelme sought to unseat Perez with a platform focused on increasing member involvement and opposing plans that could allow outside investors to acquire a small stake in the club. He also pledged to pursue signings including Erling Haaland and Rodri.
The challenger criticised Perez’s proposal to create a subsidiary that could sell around 5% of the club to investors, arguing it risked undermining Real Madrid’s member-owned structure.
Riquelme said he “vehemently rejects” the proposal and accused Perez of wanting to “privatise the club”.
Perez has repeatedly insisted that Real Madrid’s ownership model will remain unchanged and that any modification to club statutes would require approval from members at an extraordinary general meeting.
Real Madrid reported revenue of €1.19 billion for the 2024-25 season and remains the most valuable football club in the world, with a valuation of $6.75 billion, according to Forbes.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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