Florentino Perez offers a speech after he’s re-elected as Actual Madrid president, Eurobuilding Resort, Madrid, Spain, June 8, 2026. — Reuters
MADRID: Florentino Perez survived Actual Madrid’s first real presidential contest in 20 years within the early hours of Monday, securing 4 extra years on the helm however with greater than a 3rd of voting members backing a challenger who attacked his possession plans.
The 79-year-old Spanish building magnate was acclaimed because the winner by Actual Madrid TV, whereas his rival, renewable vitality tycoon Enrique Riquelme, conceded defeat a little bit over one hour forward of the official tally.
Perez gained 65% of the vote, the membership’s official rely confirmed, whereas Riquelme took 35% of a complete of 33,555 members who voted at Actual’s Valdebebas coaching floor on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday.
“I would like to congratulate Florentino Perez’s campaign on its victory. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without an election,” Riquelme instructed reporters.
Perez referred to as the election on Could 12 regardless of having two years left on his mandate, after a second straight season with out silverware for the file 15-times European champions and with arch-rivals Barcelona retaining their La Liga title.
He declared the consequence “extraordinary” in a victory speech at a resort within the Spanish capital and mentioned Actual had “set an example to the world of transparency and harmony”.
“This has been a great day for Real Madrid. We have won across the board, that is to say, across all age groups. And we have achieved the second-best result in the history of Real Madrid elections,” Perez mentioned.
Perez first turned Actual president in 2000 and had renewed his mandate 5 instances since 2009 by working unopposed. The membership had not held a proper presidential vote since 2006, when Ramon Calderon gained by a slender margin.
Within the build-up to Sunday’s vote, Perez promised to nominate Benfica supervisor Jose Mourinho and mentioned he would spend 150 million euros on an unnamed participant to be revealed on Tuesday, a payment that will signify a membership file.
He additionally mentioned defenders Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries can be his first signings if elected.
Benfica acknowledged Perez’s curiosity in Mourinho in a press release to Portugal’s CMVM market regulator, saying any transfer to nominate the Portuguese coach would require cost of 15 million euros to terminate his contract.
Riquelme had tried to unseat Perez with pledges to signal Manchester Metropolis pair Erling Haaland and Rodri, whereas pitching himself because the candidate who would carry members nearer to a membership he mentioned had drifted away from them.
He promised to show Valdebebas right into a social hub that includes a resort, swimming swimming pools, a gymnasium and a 15,000-capacity area for Actual Madrid’s basketball group that might additionally host concert events.
His marketing campaign additionally focused Perez’s proposal, raised final November, to create a subsidiary that will permit exterior buyers to purchase a stake of round 5% within the membership. Riquelme mentioned he “vehemently rejects” the plan and accused Perez of desirous to “privatise the club”.
Perez has mentioned Actual’s member-owned mannequin would stay intact and that membership would have “a real and tangible value”. Any change to the membership’s statutes would require approval at a rare common assembly.
Actual posted 2024-25 income of 1.19 billion euros and are valued by Forbes at $6.75 billion, the best in world soccer.
