Official: Florentino Perez has a competitor in the Real Madrid election - Enrique Riquelme throws his hat in the ring
The businessman from Alicante, who had already confirmed that he had a bank guarantee of more than €180 million, will compete against Florentino Pérez.
It’s official: Enrique Riquelme has announced his candidacy, bringing Real Madrid’s first presidential elections since 2006 closer than ever. The Electoral Board now has 24 hours to review his candidacy and, if everything is in order, must set an election date no later than 15 days afterwards.
Riquelme arrived at the Electoral Board offices at around 5:00 p.m. local time this Saturday. Earlier in the day, he had visited a notary’s office to certify the official status of his endorsement. Although he had initially planned to submit his candidacy in the morning, a series of meetings that lasted until lunchtime forced him to wait until the afternoon.
The issue of the loan guarantee has generated controversy in recent hours after reports emerged that Santander and BBVA had refused to provide it. Real Madrid’s bylaws state that the guarantee must not come from a Spanish bank, but rather from an institution registered with the Bank of Spain, where most internationally operating banks are listed. Although there has been no official confirmation, Riquelme is understood to have secured guarantees from Scotiabank and Andbank. Andbank Spain, the Spanish subsidiary of the Andorran private bank, has operated in Spain since 1990, while Scotiabank appears through its Irish subsidiary. In principle, both institutions are properly registered.
Several names have already emerged as possible members of Riquelme’s Board of Directors, although none have been officially confirmed in what is Enrique Riquelme’s first bid for the Real Madrid presidency. Among them are the men expected to serve as vice-presidents: David Mesonero, director of corporate development at Iberdrola and son-in-law of Ignacio Sánchez Galán, and Ángel Martín, owner of Clínica Menorca and closely connected to many club legends. Also expected to join the project are Dámaso Quintana, president of Cunext, one of Spain’s leading commodities groups; Rosauro Varo, a prominent Spanish investor and owner of the GAT business conglomerate; and the sons of Fernando Fernández Tapias and Vicente Boluda.
Florentino Pérez has served continuously as president since returning to office in 2009 without ever facing an election, as no rival candidate had previously come forward. That was the case in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025. This time, however, he has found an opponent, something he said last week at Real Madrid City in Valdebebas that he was looking forward to. The last elections Florentino actually contested took place in 2004, when he won by a landslide, receiving 21,377 votes, or 91.36 percent of the electorate, compared to 1,189 votes (5.08 percent) for Lorenzo Sanz and 458 (1.96 percent) for Arturo Baldasano. The last time Real Madrid members were able to vote was in 2006, when Ramón Calderón was elected president.
Once the Electoral Board has completed its review of Enrique Riquelme’s candidacy, a process for which it has 24 hours, it must set the election date. The maximum period allowed is 15 days, although it could be shorter. That deadline expires on June 8. The previous weekend coincides with the Pope’s visit to the Nuevo Bernabéu. In any case, the elections could be held either at the Bernabéu or at Valdebebas.
According to the club’s electoral regulations, members wishing to vote by mail, through a notary, must request it from the club before the Wednesday preceding the election. Members who request a postal vote will not be permitted to vote in person. All Real Madrid members of legal age, from a membership base of more than 90,000, are eligible to vote.
‼️ LLEGA ENRIQUE RIQUELME a Valdebebas
— Carrusel Deportivo (@carrusel) May 23, 2026
📝 Para inscribir su candidatura a la presidencia del Real Madrid
🎙️ Informa @javiherraez pic.twitter.com/U5ZWGx52xW
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