Fernando Martín Álvarez, who was interim president of Real Madrid between February and April, 2006, is the latest former club figure to have fallen victim to coronavirus.

The 72-year-old businessman, who was also a member of the board of directors under Florentino Peréz, is currently in a serious condition in the intensive care unit of Madrid’s Puerto de Hierro Hospital after contracting COVID-19.

The news comes just days after the death of former Madrid president, Lorenzo Sanz, who passed away on Saturday after a short battle with the virus, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 2,200 people in Spain.

Madrid has been the most affected region, accounting for around a third of all the 33,000-plus cases that have been registered in Spain to date.

Martín’s short tenure at Real Madrid

During Martín’s short tenure as Madrid president between February and April 2006, Los Blancos did not lose a league game, but were eliminated from the Champions League by Arsenal.

On April 26 of that year, he decided to step down after the club’s board of directors decided to call presidential elections against his will. Luis Gómez Montejano temporarily replaced him until the elections were held that summer, which saw Ramon Calderón voted as the chosen candidate.