Perez, who had an active mandate until 2029 and has not had to face a vote during his second period as president (he returned to power at the Bernabeu in 2009, having also served from 2000-2006), did not name Riquelme directly.<\/p>\n
Instead he spoke of a person \u201cwith a Mexican accent\u201d who \u201ctalks with electricity companies\u201d and was behind \u201ca very organised campaign\u201d to oppose him.<\/p>\n
Perez\u2019s veiled descriptions were enough for close observers of Real Madrid\u2019s politics to understand he was referring to Riquelme, who has significant business interests in Mexico but is actually from Cox, a small town in the Spanish province of Alicante.<\/p>\n
In 2021, Riquelme gave several interviews to Spanish media in which he hinted at intentions to one day run for the Madrid presidency, but he did not stand that year, nor in January 2025 \u2014 when Perez was re-elected as the only candidate for a fifth time in a row.<\/p>\n
Now, he has accepted Perez\u2019s challenge. On Sunday, Madrid\u2019s electoral board confirmed he has met the strict criteria required of candidates \u2014 including proving personal wealth of at least \u20ac187million (\u00a3161.5m; $217.5m) \u2014 and the club\u2019s membership of around 100,000 is now braced to vote on who should lead them, for the first time since 2006. On Tuesday evening, a date for the vote was confirmed: June 7.<\/p>\n
Here, in his first English-language media interview since announcing his decision to stand, Riquelme speaks with The Athletic about his plans for the Real Madrid presidency.<\/p>\n
The conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and length.<\/p>\n
The Athletic: Perez essentially challenged you to step forward and run.<\/p>\n
Enrique Riquelme: And I did. He also said there would be a debate, yet no debate has happened.<\/p>\n
TA: Have you been told that there won\u2019t be a debate?<\/p>\n
Riquelme: Nobody has informed me whether there will be or not. You should ask him (Perez).<\/p>\n
TA: Perez also referred to you in a way that surprised some people, mentioning your \u201cMexican or South American accent\u201d. Do you think he was being dismissive?<\/p>\n
Riquelme:\u00a0(Laughs) Well, generationally, we are worlds apart. At my age, Florentino had not yet started as a businessman, so perhaps it is difficult for him to fully assess or understand that side of my profile. Back then, I believe he was still serving on Madrid\u2019s city council before eventually building an outstanding business career later on.<\/p>\n
TA: Were you originally planning to stand after Perez stepping down?<\/p>\n
Riquelme: I was not planning to launch a candidacy in the short term. My timeline was 2028, not now. This came as a surprise to me.<\/p>\n
But events accelerated. That immediately forced us into position. Florentino openly said that if anyone wanted elections, they should present a candidacy. He knew perfectly well that the timeframe was only five business days.<\/p>\n
![\"Riquelme](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277860743-scaled.jpg\")
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\n Riquelme pictured on Saturday at the Bernabeu, having officially launched his candidacy (Angel Martinez\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
We did not make the final decision until the very end because we wanted to be certain that we were putting forward a serious and competitive project, particularly regarding the financial guarantee. But from day one we were confident we had the backing required. What we also knew, was that it was not going to be made easy for us.<\/p>\n
TA:\u00a0Who or what was not going to make it easy?<\/p>\n
Riquelme:\u00a0Because the entire system is designed that way. The reality is that there has not been a candidacy in 20 years. Are we really supposed to believe that not a single Madridista has wanted to become president of Real Madrid during that time?<\/p>\n
What makes this candidacy exciting is that Real Madrid has not had a genuine election in 20 years. Ours is a respectful and professional candidacy, one that respects the club\u2019s DNA and seeks to reconnect with the essence of Real Madrid, while also recognising the legacy that already exists.<\/p>\n
Florentino Perez clearly believes privatisation is the best path forward. But my question is: Why? Why should Real Madrid stop belonging to its members? Is the club really in such poor financial condition that this is necessary? I understand the financial side of football very well, and I firmly believe Real Madrid can remain member-owned while continuing to compete at the highest level.<\/p>\n
TA: Privatisation, as you call it, refers to plans to explore changes to Madrid\u2019s ownership rules which would allow external investment for the first time. Would you refuse to change the club\u2019s member-owned structure?<\/p>\n
Riquelme: I am completely against privatisation because I do not believe it is necessary. What exactly does the member gain from privatising the club?<\/p>\n
In reality, privatisation is being used as an excuse to justify changing the statutes. Why is the privatisation of the club, as well as the Super League and many other matters, being handled by someone who is very close to him (Perez), someone who has recently become a member by bypassing every possible waiting list? Why is there someone with so much power alongside the president who holds no official position, and who is also involved in most of the club\u2019s operations?<\/p>\n
TA:\u00a0What would you improve for the members?<\/p>\n
Riquelme:\u00a0Tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon we will present a full package of proposals focused on improving the member experience. There are many things we believe can and should change.<\/p>\n
Right now, Real Madrid is losing around \u20ac80million a year, and that shortfall is being offset through extraordinary revenue streams such as the sale of VIP seating. One-off sales, exceptional transactions \u2014 every season there is something. We criticise Barcelona for using \u201cfinancial levers,\u201d but these are also levers.<\/p>\n
Of course, the situations are different, and Real Madrid is in a far stronger position than Barcelona, without question, but there is still a risk. If Real Madrid stops reaching the Champions League quarter-finals every season, the financial impact becomes much more serious.<\/p>\n
One thing I can promise with absolute certainty is that I would never apply this idea of privatising the club, because it is simply unnecessary. Real Madrid could reduce costs directly by \u20ac130million to \u20ac140m without any problem.<\/p>\n
Take Real Madrid TV, for example. Its operating costs are far beyond what would be considered normal for the audience share it generates, despite the fact that the club already has the internal capacity to produce its own content far more efficiently.<\/p>\n
There are also extremely high executive salaries and non-sporting payroll expenses. We are talking about dozens of non-sporting employees earning more than \u20ac1million a year. There are countless areas where costs could be reduced without touching the sporting side of the club.<\/p>\n
And beyond reducing costs, there are also many opportunities to improve revenues in a healthier and more sustainable way.<\/p>\n
TA: What exactly are your plans for the sporting side?<\/p>\n
Riquelme:\u00a0We are working on a very clear project. We will begin speaking publicly about the sporting side once we have fully presented the social and member-focused side of the candidacy.<\/p>\n
TA: But surely the first thing members want to ask you is which players or coaches you plan to bring in?<\/p>\n
Riquelme: Honestly, that is not what members ask me about most. I spend my days talking to socios and supporters\u2019 groups, sitting with them, listening to their concerns and trying to understand what they actually want from the club.<\/p>\n
And I would say that 80 or 90 percent of those conversations revolve around member-related issues, because they feel abandoned after 20 years without significant attention being paid to them.<\/p>\n
![\"Riquelme](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277860747-1-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Riquelme](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/GettyImages-2277327476-scaled.jpg\")
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