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Real Madrid Presidential Election: Perez & Riquelme Key Differences, Campaign Promises, Signings

The voting for the club’s next leader will take place on June 7.
Andrew Headspeath|
Florentino Pérez (left) faces competition from Enrique Riquelme (right).
Florentino Pérez (left) faces competition from Enrique Riquelme (right). | Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images

For the first time in over 20 years, Florentino Pérez faces a challenger for the position of Real Madrid president.

The 79-year-old laid down the gaunlet for pretenders to his throne on May 12, when he revealed he would be calling elections ahead of schedule.

It was a clear power play from Pérez, whose position has come under increased scrutiny after two seasons without a major trophy—a long time in Madrid terms.

37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme accepted the challenge and will officially run against the incumbent with polling of the club’s 100,000-strong socio base set for Sunday, June 7.

In the coming days, both candidates will hit the campaign trail hard as they try to convince Madrid voters of their visions for the club.

An actual contested presidential election has become a rarity in recent times and the club stands at a clear crossroads, amid a period of both on-field and off-field turmoil. But what exactly is each candidate proposing and how do they differ?

Grand Plans: Riquelme vs. Pérez

Riquelme

Enrique Riquelme
Enrique Riquelme wants to transform Valdebebas. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images

At the end of May, Riquelme, whose campaign slogan is “legacy and future,” presented plans to transform Real Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground into La Ciudad del Socio (Members’ City).

The ambitious project would involve developing the club’s training ground into a center for fans that includes swimming pools, padel courts and a basketball arena.

As part of his grander (and more expensive) campaign promises, Riquelme also pledged to cut membership fees by 50%, while reducing waiting lists for season tickets by making as many as 10,000 available through a lottery system.

Pérez

Florentino Pérez
Florentino Pérez’s campaign slogan is “much more history to make” | Dennis Agyeman/AFP7/Getty Images

Long-standing president Pérez, meanwhile, launched his own campaign message under the slogan “much more history to make.”

Focusing on his past accomplishments, the 79-year-old’s pitch stresses the importance of experience and stability, while highlighting the club’s brand value and development during his tenure.

In a 12-point program of focus, Pérez revealed plans to transform Valdebebas into “a hub of knowledge, technology, research, and artificial intelligence,” while working to strengthen Madrid’s leadership in sports and entertainment.

The incumbent president has also to gift a free Real Madrid shirt to each one of the club’s members every year.

Manager: Riquelme vs. Pérez

Riquelme

Enrique Riquelme
Enrique Riquelme has not explicitly named his managerial choice. | Oscar J. Barroso/Europa Press via Getty Images

Riquelme has claimed to have already secured a deal for his preferred managerial candidate, but has not named who that person is.

“We finalized the coaching deal before announcing my candidacy,” Riquelme teased, adding that his chosen coach “is under contract with a team.”

Some have speculated that the manager in Riquelme’s crosshairs is former Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp, who is name-checked (albeit jokingly) in one of his campaign videos.

Asked specifically about Klopp by The Athletic, Riquelme said: “We are looking at profiles among the very best coaches in world football—people with the level of experience and leadership required to manage a club like Real Madrid. Naturally, I would love for profiles of that caliber, and others like them, to coach this club.

“I cannot say whether [Klopp] is or is not [an option] at this stage. The sporting professionals currently working within the project are handling those discussions, and I cannot share more than that right now. We will see in the coming days.”

Speaking to ABC, Riquelme said of Klopp: “Obviously he’s someone I’d love to see coaching Real Madrid, sooner or later.”

Cesc Fabregas and Mikel Arteta have also been suggested as possible options for Riquelme, but Klopp appears the frontrunner with Mundo Deportivo even claiming the candidate has met with Red Bull’s head of soccer “several times”.

In addition, Riquelme has announced that Raúl Gonzalez—Real Madrid’s all-time top appearance maker—will return to the club as sporting director.

Pérez

José Mourinho will be Pérez’s choice, if he wins re-election.

The 63-year-old had been tipped to leave Benfica and return to the Bernabeu for some weeks, with Pérez finally confirming the speculation publicly on Wednesday.

Multiple reports claim that Mourinho has signed a three-year deal to return to the club he managed between 2010 and 2013, with the deal ready to come into effect once the votes have been counted.

Signings: Riquelme vs. Pérez

Riquelme

Erling Haaland
Riquelme has promised to bring Erling Haaland to Madrid. | Getty/Michael Regan

Along with a new manager and sporting director ready to go, Riquelme has gone big on his promise of new players.

After several days of teasing big-names transfers, the presidential hopeful leaned into a strategy perfected by his rival by promising to deliver superstar signings.

Following the announcement of Spain’s World Cup roster—which included no Real Madrid player for the first time in history—Riquelme pledged to bring in a national team star, before revealing on Spanish talk show El Hormiguero that the player will be Manchester City’s Rodri.

“If I’m president, I can’t be more clear, Rodri will play for Real Madrid,” he boldly claimed.

As if that wasn’t enough of a bombshell on its own, Riquelme followed up that promise of bringing three-time Premier League Golden Boot winner Erling Haaland to the Bernabéu—even provocatively displaying a Real Madrid shirt with “Haaland 9” on the back, in front of the show’s two ant puppets known as Trancas and Barrancas.

“He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid,” Riquelme boasted.

So confident is Riquelme that he also promised to pay all members’ fees if he doesn’t deliver the two blockbuster signings.

City, however, were quick to rain on the would-be president’s parade quickly putting out a statement, saying: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue.

“There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it. We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

Pérez

Ibrahima Konaté
Ibrahima Konaté will joined Real Madrid on a free deal. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images

Pérez’s campaigns have often been built on the promise of marquee signings, most famously Luís Figo’s shock arrival from Barcelona back in 2000.

This time around, Pérez is been more coy, but has still declared: “I have always signed the best in the world and the best will always be with us and people know it.”

Ibrahima Konate is confirmed as the first arrival on a free deal following his exit from Liverpool, while it is expected that Denzel Dumfries will join from Inter Milan for around €20 million ($23 million).

However, an eye-catching, stories-high campaign poster showcasing all of Pérez’s splashy signings from Luís Figo to Kylian Mbappe over the years, followed by the words “to be continued” suggests that two cut-price defenders is unlikely to be the end of it this summer.

One report from COPE claims the sitting president has a dream summer hit list of three signings that includes center back Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), midfielder João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) and winger Víctor Muñoz (Osasuna) who is available with a buyback clause.

More likely is Nico Paz, who seems set to re-join after a standout season in Como, while a deep-lying playmaker has been on the agenda for some time.

Key Supporters: Riquelme vs. Pérez

Riquelme

37-year-old Riquelme is the clear underdog in the race with far less name recognition among Madridistas. However, he does have some important friends.

He is reported to have a close relationship with tennis legend Rafael Nadal—who is a very high-profile Real Madrid fan, and has often been touted to run for the club’s presidency himself one day.

Riquelme has also taken care to attach club legends to his ticket naming Raúl as his would-be sporting director and Fernando Hierro as head of the academy.

When asked about whether club legend Figo might be someone he would attach to his ticket in some capacity, Riquelme told ABC: “We are evaluating different profiles, and Figo is a very good fit, a true legend and a consummate professional now retired from football. We will count on those who can contribute.”

Pérez

The incumbent president officially launched his campaign at the Hotel Meliá Castilla with Ronaldo Nazario, Roberto Carlos and Santiago Solari among those in attendance.

Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić and Dani Carvajal are among those who have shown public support for Pérez in recent days, while there are very few who would deny that the man in charge since 2009 has been one of the most significant figures in the club’s history.

Exiting manager Álvaro Arbeloa recently said at a press conference of the upcoming elections: “I’m not a member, so I won’t vote.

“But I remember Real Madrid without Florentino Pérez. I know how the club was before Florentino’s arrival, and how it’s been in the 26 years with Florentino here. I’d choose these 26 years, for sure, there’s no doubt.”

Even FIFA president Gianni Infantino appears to have thrown his weight behind Pérez, writing on social media: “I am sure that under your leadership there is an even brighter future ahead.”

Riquelme vs. Pérez: Campaign Breakdown

Riquelme

Pérez

Slogan

“Legacy and future”

“Much more history to make”

Manager Choice

Jürgen Klopp (predicted)

José Mourinho

Sporting Director Choice

Raúl González

N/A

Promised Transfers

Rodri, Erling Haaland

Ibrahima Konate

Key Allies

Raúl González, Fernando Hierro, Rafael Nadal

Ronaldo Nazario, Roberto Carlos, Luka Modrić, Dani Carvajal, Karim Benzema, Gianni Infantino

Election Date and What Happens Next

The polling date has now been set for Sunday, June 7, with voting open inside the basketball arena at Valdebebas for club members between 8AM and 9PM CET.

Pérez has turned down Riquelme’s challenge to a debate before then, leaving the two candidates to spend the next few days hammering home their pitches separately.

The count is expected to be wrapped up quickly with the president sworn in shortly after, ready to lead the club into a summer of transition.

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Andrew Headspeath
ANDREW HEADSPEATH

Andy Headspeath is a Real Madrid correspondent for Sports Illustrated FC. Originally from the UK, the weather, culture and soccer lured him to Spain over a decade ago where he lives with his wife, son and two untrainable dogs. A player of unspeakably limited talents and only one fully functional knee, he has more than a decade's experience in a wide variety of editorial roles within sports media, from match reporting to in-depth feature writing and interviews. He specializes in soccer history and culture, as well as—of course—La Liga.

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