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Florentino Perez will remain president of Real Madrid for the next four years.
Picture: Keystone
Florentino Perez remains president of Real Madrid. Following his re-election, the 79-year-old construction magnate will continue to preside over the recently struggling club for the next four years.
Even after two disappointing years in sporting terms and much criticism of his leadership, Florentino Pérez remains president of Real Madrid. The 79-year-old construction magnate clearly prevailed over his challenger, the young entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme, in the first presidential election at the record Spanish football champions in 20 years. Riquelme admitted this to journalists before the official result was announced.
Pérez was thus given a mandate for a further term of office until 2030. With a three-year interruption between 2006 and 2009, the billionaire entrepreneur has been at the helm of the club since 2000. "It's a very happy day for me and for madridismo," Pérez told journalists on Monday night. "We will give everything to win the Champions League for the 16th time."
Just under a month ago - a few days after the Whites' 2-0 defeat in the Clásico at FC Barcelona, which secured the league title for their arch-rivals - Pérez called the vote a question of confidence. Real had previously failed to reach the last 16 of the Spanish Cup against second-division side Albacete and was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League against FC Bayern Munich.
The long-serving club boss had complained of a "campaign" against him after the series of bankruptcies. "They say I'm ill, that I have an incurable cancer. I'm taking this opportunity to say to the people who are worried about me: I'll continue to run the club and my company, which turns over 50 billion a year. My health is perfect," emphasized Pérez in May.
After initially leading the prestigious club between 2000 and 2006 and shaping the era of the "Galactics" around Luís Figo, Ronaldo Fenómeno, Zinédine Zidane and David Beckham, Pérez won the presidency again in 2009 without a rival candidate. Since then, no challenger had met the high admission hurdles for a candidacy, meaning that Pérez had been confirmed in office time and time again without a vote.
In order to be allowed to run, Riquelme had to deposit a guarantee of around 187 million euros, among other things. This corresponds to 15 percent of the club's total budget of almost 1.2 billion euros. However, his dream was dashed during the election at the Ciudad Real Madrid training center in the Valdebebas district, in which around 70,000 club members were entitled to vote.
Before the election, Pérez had promised "continuity". He referred to the sporting successes that the club had achieved with him as boss, and not just in football. He also highlighted the club's economic strength under his aegis and the extensive modernization of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
Meanwhile, challenger Riquelme had staged the election campaign as a generational duel. The 37-year-old entrepreneur promised a fundamental new start, presented spectacular transfer plans - including the signing of Norwegian star striker Erling Haaland - and campaigned for more member participation.
With his election victory, Pérez is further extending his extraordinary era. The "Presidente" is regarded as the man behind the most successful phase in the club's history. Under his leadership, Real Madrid won numerous national and international titles, including the Champions League seven times. With the return of former club coach José Mourinho, Pérez wants to lead the team around stars Vinícius Júnior and Kylian Mbappé back to the path of success. According to the media, he also wants to bring Bayern star Michael Olise to Madrid.
08.06.2026, 06:02
08.06.2026, 07:27
