The Real Madrid Presidential election must be one of the football world’s most bizarre events.
Usually taking place every four years, with Los Blancos going two consecutive seasons without winning a major trophy for the first time in 20 years, President Florentino Pérez called unscheduled elections in a bid to seek a renewed mandate from members.
The elections are governed by a detailed and tightly controlled set of regulations. Prospective candidates are required to satisfy a number of strict conditions in order to be eligible, as set out in the club’s statutes, which were updated in 2012. Under these, candidates must hold Spanish nationality, have been a club member for at least 20 years and must provide a personal financial guarantee amounting to 15% of the club’s annual budget. It is this final stipulation that, not surprisingly, somewhat limits the field, and why Florentino has been unopposed in the elections for almost two decades.
This time around, there was a contest after Enrique Riquelme announced his candidacy. The club member and founder of COX Energy has a reported net worth valued at $750 million, so managed to meet the strict criteria to stand. There was a lot of rumour that another contender could throw his hat into the ring in the form of tennis icon Rafael Nadal, but Rafa’s candidacy did not materialise this time around.
The bizarre thing about the Real Madrid elections is the staggering ‘promises’ that candidates make in a bid to sway voters. This time around we had Florentino promising to bring Jose Mourino back to the club as manager – Mourino signed a three-year deal last month to return, but it would only be valid if Pérez retained his position. Pérez also promised to make a club record offer for an unnamed ‘great player’ – enticing for fans, while keeping his options very much open.
Unsurprisingly, as the contender Riquelme needed to go a bit further with his promises. On a Spanish TV show Riquelme promised to sign Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, even holding up a Real Madrid shirt with ‘Haaland’ printed on the back. He also promised to sign Haaland’s teammate Rodri, and to install club icon Raul as a new Sporting Director, working alongside the new manager, none other than Jurgen Klopp.
Unfortunately for Riquelme, his promises soon started to unravel. Haaland’s team quickly denied any truth in the rumour, and Manchester City stated they were considering legal action over the player’s image rights. It was also pointed out that Real Madrid does not operate with a Sporting Director. To top things off Riquelme’s office swiftly issued a statement saying: “We know that Jurgen Klopp has publicly stated that he has no intention of returning to the dugout.”
The constituents in the election also need to meet strict criteria to vote. They must be a Real Madrid member, and of legal age. They must have a minimum of one full year of membership, and they must be included in the official electoral roll.
It is estimated that around 70,000 members meet the criteria and had a vote. In the end it seems as though Riquelme over-egged his promises as 73-year-old Pérez triumphed with 65% of the vote, and now starts a new 4-year tenure, with a promise to “fight until the end to achieve the 16th European Cup.”
There is something to be admired in the fact that the World’s biggest football club is still owned by its members, who have a direct say in how the club is run. The downside to the presidential elections is the need for exaggerated promises that then set (usually) unrealistic expectations with the fanbase, and makes the whole club a tinderbox ready to explode when things don’t go quite as planned.
Speculation is already rife about who the unnamed great player may be – several have already been ruled out by Pérez, including Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Michel Olise, as well as Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku and Erling Haaland. He has confirmed that the offer will be in excess of 150 million euro, and that it is not a player currently in the Premier League. Smart money would look at one of PSG’s Champions League winners.
But, if Pérez really wants to upset Spanish football, a bid for Barcelona’s young superstar Lamine Yamal would be the ultimate statement signing. While perhaps unrealistic given Yamal’s sporting of a t-shirt during Barcelona’s recent celebration stating: “Thank God I’m Not Madridista”, Pérez does have form having poached the face of Barcelona, Luis Figo, in 2000. So while unlikely it is still possible – after all, Real Madrid is nothing if not bizarre.
David Little is a Partner at Bishop & Sewell in our expert Sports Law and Corporate & Commercial
If you would like to contact him, please call on either 07968 027343 or 020 7631 4141 or email: company@
The above is accurate as at 10 June 2026.
The information above may be subject to change. The content of this note should not be considered legal advice, and each matter should be considered on a case-by-case basis.
