Real Madrid officially opened its electoral process this Thursday (14), after president Florentino Pérez announced his decision to call elections and run for re-election, amid a series of criticisms following a season without titles for the merengue club.
The process begins this Thursday with a period of ten days, until May 23, for the submission of applications, the club announced in a statement.
The requirements to be a candidate include being a member of the club for 20 years and having a guarantee of €187 million (R$1.1 billion), equivalent to 15% of the club’s annual budget, which must be backed by personal assets.
Pérez, who was re-elected unopposed in January 2025 to a four-year term, announced Tuesday that he will run again.
The question, according to the local press, is whether Enrique Riquelme, president of water and energy group Cox, will enter the race.
According to the Spanish press, Riquelme declared on Wednesday, in Mexico, a country with which he has strong ties, that he will make a decision in the coming days.
In a letter published by several press outlets in Spain, the businessman in the renewable energy sector asked Pérez for more time to prepare a possible candidacy.
“When I ran in the 2000 elections, I didn’t ask for more time; I ran and won,” said the Real Madrid president, when asked about the request.
The acceptance and proclamation of each candidacy will be made public the day following its presentation, according to the Real Madrid statement.
If several candidates compete, the electoral board will announce the date and location of the votes in a timely manner. If no one comes forward, Pérez would be reappointed to the position, as already happened in January 2025.
