Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has won the duel with entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme and will remain in the highest office of the Spanish football record champions until 2030. This resulted in the election on Sunday at the club center in Valdebebas, which Pérez announced in May at a sensational press conference. He is now entering his eighth term in office, having held the position for the first time from 2000 to 2006.
For the first time since he took office again in 2009, an opposing candidate, Riquelme, stood for election, but without success. “We won at all ballot boxes, that means in all age groups,” said Pérez (79) after his victory. He also “achieved the second best result in history”; according to Spanish media projections, he received between 60 and 70 percent of the vote. His rival congratulated Pérez even before the results were officially published.
The two opponents had outdone each other with wild statements during the election campaign. While Riquelme wanted to lure top stars Erling Haaland and Rodri to Los Blancos, Pérez promised to sign Ibrahima Konaté and coach José Mourinho. In his victory speech after the election, he emphasized again that Mourinho should return to Real.
According to media reports, he is also planning an offer of 150 million euros for Michael Olise from FC Bayern. Pérez himself initially ruled out the name Olise.