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Real Madrid President Pérez: Investors Buy Prestige, Not Profit
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Elections & Politics

Real Madrid President Pérez: Investors Buy Prestige, Not Profit

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez stated that investors buying a 5% stake in the club will receive prestige, not financial returns.
  • Pérez aims to value the club at over 10 billion euros, comparing the investment to a sponsorship.
  • Rival Enrique Riquelme criticizes the plan as privatization, while Pérez insists it secures current members' economic ownership.

Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has proposed selling a 5% stake in the football club, asserting that potential investors will pay handsomely for the "satisfaction of having a relationship" with the Madrid team, but will receive no financial benefits in return. Pérez, who is seeking re-election, told the Financial Times that the prestigious brand will attract external capital with a valuation exceeding 10 billion euros (over $11.6 billion).

Investors will pay generously for the satisfaction of having a relationship with the Madrid team, but will receive nothing in return.

— Florentino PérezReal Madrid President Florentino Pérez described the value proposition for potential investors in the club.

In the interview, Pérez explained that acquiring a share in Real Madrid, which is owned by its members, is unlike purchasing an asset that yields a concrete financial return. "It would be like a sponsorship, so to speak," he said. "In other words, there are people who associate with Real Madrid without expecting anything in return."

It would be like a sponsorship, so to speak. In other words, there are people who associate with Real Madrid without expecting anything in return.

— Florentino PérezPérez explained the nature of the investment, likening it to a sponsorship.

Pérez, who has led Real Madrid for over 22 years across two periods, faces a challenge from businessman Enrique Riquelme. Approximately 100,000 members will vote on June 7 to choose the club's leader for the next four years. Riquelme has accused Pérez of attempting to privatize the club, questioning the necessity of such a move when the club already belongs to its members.

Why do we have to privatize something that already belongs to us?

— Enrique RiquelmeRival Enrique Riquelme questioned Pérez's plan to sell club shares.

The Financial Times noted that while Real Madrid generated a record 1.2 billion euros ($1.39 billion) in revenue in the 2024-2025 season, it concluded a title-less season marked by managerial instability and dressing room discord. Pérez rejects the "privatization" label, insisting his goal is to formalize the "economic ownership" of current members and that external capital will simply provide an official valuation. He stated, "I want the assets to truly belong to the members. I want to distribute them among them and I will continue to fight until I achieve it."

I want the assets to truly belong to the members. I want to distribute them among them and I will continue to fight until I achieve it.

— Florentino PérezPérez reiterated his commitment to the club's members.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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