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At a glance
- Florentino Pérez faces his first election challenge in 20 years as Real Madrid president on Sunday, with rival Enrique Riquelme promising major signings.
- Riquelme, 37, has secured backing from former Real Madrid players like Raúl González and Iker Casillas, and aims to sign Manchester City star Erling Haaland.
- Pérez, 79, dismissed Riquelme's Haaland claims as a bluff and vowed to announce a record-breaking transfer after the election, while also planning to bring back José Mourinho.
Florentino Pérez, the long-serving president of Real Madrid, is set to face his first electoral challenge in two decades as the club holds elections on Sunday. Pérez, 79, who has overseen Real Madrid's rise as a global football powerhouse, will compete against Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy executive. Riquelme is making bold promises to the club's 98,000 members, including the potential signing of Manchester City star Erling Haaland. He has garnered support from prominent former Real Madrid players such as Raúl González, Iker Casillas, and Fernando Hierro, who have pledged to join his campaign in various capacities. Raúl would serve as sports director, a newly created role, while Hierro would oversee the youth academy. Riquelme also expressed interest in signing Spain midfielder Rodri. Pérez, however, dismissed Riquelme's claims about Haaland as a "bluff." He countered by announcing his intention to reveal a "most expensive transfer in the history of Real Madrid" after the election, a move he suggested would be worth at least 150 million euros ($173 million). Pérez has a history of making ambitious signings to secure his presidency, famously bringing Luis Figo to the club in 2000. He also plans to re-sign former coach José Mourinho and potentially acquire Liverpool defender.
Why do they want to kill me? Why? Because there are some kids out there saying they want to run? Well, let them. I would love them to.
Originally published by Asharq Al-Awsat. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.