Real Madrid is at a turning point in its history. And this time, the destiny of the club is not in the hands – or rather the crampons – of Kylian Mbappé or Vinicius Jr, but of Florentino Pérez. Aware that the club’s social model is an obstacle to Merengue’s economic development, and that clubs with private or state investors are today more powerful in the transfer window in particular, the boss of the club in the Spanish capital has been looking for solutions for years already. A change in the club’s legal status and a move to SAD – a sports limited company – to replace the governance model of the socios had been mentioned and carefully considered, but Pérez seems to have made another choice.
As indicated by various media such as Cadena SERthe Madrid boss is preparing to sell 10% of the club’s shares. This would involve creating another company that could accommodate external investors, or using an existing one, like the one that manages the operation of the Bernabéu. Real Madrid would remain under club control, Pérez would still be in charge, but external funds could inject capital into the club, which is currently not possible.
Madrid public opinion is gnashing its teeth
If the abolition of the status of socios club was unanimously refused by public opinion in Madrid, this new decision which should be presented at the General Assembly on November 23 remains quite controversial. Very conservative, Madrid socios generally do not appreciate changes of this kind and want to remain faithful to their heritage and their history. Part of their pride in being part of Real also lay in the fact of not belonging to foreign capital and not depending on the latter to be a big club. From now on, even if the model is not going to change, they will no longer be able to boast of this “purity” that they claim so much. On social networks and in traditional media, protest messages are numerous and Pérez’s popularity rating is clearly deteriorating.
Either way, it’s a major turning point in the club’s history. A drastic change, but considered necessary, in order to adapt to the new reality of football, in which the most powerful clubs no longer hesitate, to varying degrees, to open their capital to external investments. To stay competitive, Real Madrid have no choice, at least according to Pérez. Without going very far, Atlético de Madrid, for example, has just been bought by the American fund Apollo Sports Capital, and in Barcelona, Joan Laporta is also considering changes in the status of the club. Real Madrid will therefore enter a new era, to the misfortune of many, but there is no doubt that if the results follow on the pitch, everything will very quickly be forgotten…
