Florentino Pérez Re-elected Real Madrid President for Four More Years

Florentino Pérez will continue as Real Madrid president for another four years, having secured a victory in the club's elections. Provisional counts indicate Pérez, who has led the club for 23 of the last 26 years this century, won 62 percent of the vote against challenger Enrique Riquelme.

Riquelme, who had to assemble his candidacy on short notice, attempted to sway members with promises of signing Jürgen Klopp, Erling Haaland, and Rodri. However, Pérez, aged 79, was the favored candidate, with the election held at the Valdebebas sports city's basketball pavilion. Approximately 70,000 members were eligible to vote, with mail-in ballots causing delays in the final count.

Pérez called for the elections unexpectedly 25 days prior, stating he needed to legitimize his position due to what he described as "absurd situations caused by campaigns to generate a current of opinion contrary to the interests of Real Madrid and especially against me." This move came after a season where Real Madrid failed to win any titles and saw two managers, Xabi Alonso and Álvaro Arbeloa.

In the final days of the campaign, both candidates addressed potential new signings. While Riquelme's proposed signings were denied by Manchester City and Klopp's representatives, Pérez has reportedly secured José Mourinho's return and is close to signing defenders Ibrahima Konaté and Denzel Dumfries. Pérez also hinted at a major signing, potentially worth at least 150 million euros, while Bayern Munich has stated that Michael Olise is under a long-term contract and they are not a selling club.

Riquelme had also raised concerns about Pérez's initial step towards privatization through the sale of 5 percent of the club, a move that requires a referendum. Real Madrid, along with Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Osasuna, remains one of the few top-division clubs not to have become a public limited company, a structure offered to Spanish football clubs in the early 1990s to address financial debts.

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I took this decision because an absurd situation has been created by campaigns to generate a current of opinion contrary to the interests of Real Madrid and especially against me.