In Madrid, the presidential campaign is already starting to take on the appearance of a historic divide. For several months, the possible holding of elections has agitated the members of Real Madrid and puts at the center of the debate the governance of Florentino Pérez, installed at the top of the club for more than two decades despite a short interruption in the mid-2000s. Facing him, Enrique Riquelme wants to embody a modern and offensive alternative. At just 38 years old, the Spanish businessman, who built his fortune in Mexico’s renewable energy sector with the Cox Group, managed to meet the extremely strict requirements imposed on candidates for the presidency of Real Madrid. A step already perceived as a symbolic victory by those around him as the financial and administrative barriers are considered dissuasive for any potential opponent.
The arrival of Enrique Riquelme in the Madrid political landscape quickly aroused curiosity in Spain. His profile contrasts radically with that of Florentino Pérez, the all-powerful president who has shaped the club in his image since the Galactic era. Riquelme wants to present himself as the candidate for structural modernization and sporting renewal. His project is based on further professionalization of the internal functioning of the club with an important place given to data, strategic recruitment and artificial intelligence in decision-making processes. He also wants to establish a sports director position, which does not exist at Real Madrid, in order to streamline exchanges between management and the technical staff. In his speech, the candidate also insists on the need to restore a strong Spanish identity to the Madrid squad after the total absence of club players in the latest La Roja list for the World Cup.
Promises and a sulphate
Guest on the set of the show El Partidazo de COPEEnrique Riquelme then toughened his tone by revealing several strong promises from his sports program. The candidate claimed to have already reached an agreement with a coach currently under contract at another club while also ensuring that he also had a sports director ready to join Real Madrid in the event of victory. “We finalized the coach’s contract before announcing my candidacy, which is already under contract with a team. I have a sports director for Real Madrid. If I am elected president, there will be a Real Madrid player who played in the World Cup with Spain. No Real Madrid player will play in the World Cup with Spain, and as a madridista, I’m devastated. It hurts me. Who will the Madridistas’ children, the Madridistas themselves, the club members support? What jersey will they wear at the World Cup? That of Lamine Yamal. I really hope we can resolve this issue if I am elected president“. The Spanish businessman did not stop there and also targeted the club’s institutional system as well as certain methods of Florentino Pérez. Riquelme explained that postal voting was now his main source of concern during this campaign while denouncing a lack of transparency in several decisions taken within Real Madrid. “Without a doubt, postal voting worries me more than Florentino Pérez. Mourinho? I think it is unacceptable to hire someone in the middle of an election campaign, thus forcing the club to do so. If you are recruiting someone in the middle of an election period, and there are restrictions on the club covering costs, I would find that excellent“.
“From Thursday, we will start with the sports section and gradually announce the names. It is the only presidency in the world where the candidate must present nearly 200 million euros. If I am elected president, I will propose a modification of the statutes in order to establish more transparency within the club. Some decisions are not taken with the required transparency», he concluded on the COPE. But in another interview given yesterday to The AthleticEnrique Riquelme took out the sulphate against Pérez. “Why is the privatization of the club, as well as that of the Super League and many other matters, in the hands of someone very close to him, someone who recently became a member by bypassing all waiting lists? Why is someone with so much power sitting alongside the president, without holding any official position and, what’s more, involved in most of the club’s operations? Why would Real Madrid stop being owned by its members? Is the club really in such a precarious financial situation that this is necessary? In reality, privatization serves as a pretext to justify a modification of the statutes. What I can say with certainty is that I will never implement the idea of privatizing the club, because it is simply unnecessary. Real Madrid could cut costs directly by 130-140 million euros without any problem“. If successful, Enrique Riquelme promises to vacuum and impose a wave of reforms to the statutes in order to make the functioning of the club more transparent and less locked around presidential power.
