How Legendary Raul Has Been Dragged Into Real Madrid’s Presidential Election

Presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme is taking big swings ahead of the vote on June 7.

Raúl is being lined up for a return to Real Madrid. | Diego Souto/Getty Images

Real Madrid presidential hopeful Enrique Riquelme has revealed he will name Raúl González as his sporting director should he triumph in this month’s vote.

The 37-year-old Riquelme is seen as the underdog in the elections called ahead of schedule by incumbent president Florentino Pérez last month. The green energy entrepreneur is the first man to run against Pérez in 20 years and has promised sweeping changes if he wins.

Under the campaign slogan “legacy and future”, Riquelme claims he will transform Madrid’s Valdebebas training facility into a center for fans that includes swimming pools, padel courts and a basketball arena.

He has also pledged to cut membership fees by 50%, while reducing waiting lists for seasons tickets.

On the sporting side, Riquelme has made a number of headline-grabbing claims, including that he already has a deal in place for Real Madrid next first-team manager as well as two signings—one of whom, he has promised, is a Spain international.

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Riquelme Promises Raúl Return

Raúl scored 323 goals in 741 games for Madrid. | IMAGO/Panoramic by PsnewZ

Speaking on Cadena SER, Riquelme has also attached a club legend to his ticket in the form of Raúl—naming the former striker and club captain as his would-be sporting director.

Riquelme said: “I already have a sporting director, and he’s Spanish. We’ve decided on the signings with him and the coach.

“He’s someone who played for Real Madrid for 16 seasons. He’s the right person. It’s Raúl González Blanco. If I win the elections, Raúl González Blanco will be Real Madrid’s sporting director.

“There needs to be a culture of professionals who would never harm Real Madrid. I explained the project to him, and the more I get to know him, the more certain I am that he’s someone who will always have Real Madrid’s best interests at heart.”

48-year-old Raúl left his role as head of Real Madrid Castilla—the club’s B team—in the summer of 2025, after being overlooked for the first-team manager job, with Xabi Alonso instead appointed.

Asked whether Raúl, Madrid’s all-time top appearance maker, could have been an option for manager this time around, Riquelme replied: “He can contribute much more from a sporting director position. Because he knows what Real Madrid is all about. We need a coach with sufficient experience.”

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Raúl’s Revenge Against Pérez

Raúl has history with Florentino Pérez. | Angel Martinez/Getty Images

Raúl’s attachment to Riquelme’s campaign was eyebrow-raising in Madrid circles, with the club’s former captain the first big-name star to be hitched to the challenger’s wagon.

A beloved figure among Madrid fans for his achievements as an academy graduate who went on to win six La Liga titles and three Champions Leagues, Raúl’s name carries serious weight and could be a needle mover for Riquelme, who faces an uphill battle to unseat Pérez.

From Riquelme’s side, the choice of Raúl brings obvious caché, while also highlighting the need for a sporting director within Madrid’s increasingly muddled hierarchy. For Raúl, the move could be read as revenge from the former striker against Pérez, with history between the pair.

Pérez, a year after returning as president in 2009, made the decision to release Raúl after 741 appearances for the club, ushering in a new era of Galácticos.

Raúl was later brought back to Madrid as a youth coach, graduating to become Castilla manager in 2019. However, he was never afforded the same path as the likes of Zinedine Zidane to become first-team manager and left last summer, having grown frustrated at the lack of career progression under Pérez.

Raúl promised to return “home” one day after announcing his departure at the end of the 2024–25 season. He may have found a way back in alongside Riquelme.

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