JAKARTA – Enrique Riquelme said that his rival in the Real Madrid presidential election, Florentino Perez, had crossed the line with his proposal to sell 5 percent of the club’s shares to an investor.
Club members will vote on Sunday, June 7, 2026, local time, to elect the next president of Real Madrid, choosing between Perez (79 years) – who has been in office since 2009 – and renewable energy entrepreneur Riquelme (37 years).
In an interview with newspaper El Pais at the weekend, Perez reiterated plans – first revealed in a speech to members last year – to allow external investors to buy a portion of the club’s shares owned by members.
“If someone buys the smallest part, let’s say 5 percent, it will help establish the value (of the club as a whole),” Perez said.
However, the plan became the material for Riquelme to attack Perez.
“Florentino Perez has crossed the line. I will do the opposite. I announce that this week I will go to the notary to write, in public, that I will never sell any part of Real Madrid to third parties. I invite Florentino Perez to accompany me.”
“There are dozens of steps to increase revenue and reduce costs. Florentino Perez 20 years ago would never have been open to a sale,” Riquelme said.
Real Madrid is one of four Spanish soccer clubs, along with Barcelona, Athletic Club and Osasuna, that is run by its members rather than being a limited public company.
Perez argued that changes that guarantee members are the true owners of the club are necessary.
“We will continue to be a member club, but we will create a subsidiary, owned by members. We will give 5 percent to partners, if someone is willing to invest a significant amount, for symbolic participation. Investors must always respect our values,” Perez said in a speech at Real Madrid’s annual members meeting in November.
Perez and Riquelme both attended Real Madrid’s women’s team’s 2-0 win over Granada in the F League on Sunday, May 31, 2026, local time.
Meanwhile, this week’s election is the first to be held at the club since 2006, when Perez was then elected without an opponent. Then, he was elected again without a vote in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language.
(system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
