Riquelme urges Real Madrid to call “transparent and innovative” elections in letter to Florentino Pérez

Enrique Riquelme — Real Madrid member No. 43,858 and a potential future presidential candidate — has sent a formal letter to club president Florentino Pérez calling for new elections under a “transparent and innovative” process, carried out within “regulated timelines,” and built around open dialogue with the current leadership. His goal, he says, is to ensure real participation from club members in shaping Madrid’s future.

Riquelme argues that the election call should include mail‑in voting and allow candidates to contact eligible voting members, two long‑debated issues within the club. He warns that Real Madrid must avoid “a period of rupture, polarization, and internal tension” and instead secure “another 20 years of stability, leadership, and greatness.”

Riquelme’s call for a modernized election process

Riquelme notes that Real Madrid has gone nearly two decades without a fully participatory election, arguing that the club’s current election rules no longer reflect the expectations of modern democratic institutions. With members spread across Spain and around the world, he says they deserve enough time and space to thoughtfully debate the club’s future.

He stresses that he meets all financial and seniority requirements to run for president and expresses “deep respect” for Florentino Pérez, emphasizing that any decision Pérez makes will be guided by his love for the club. Still, Riquelme insists that the moment is historically significant and requires “time, calm, and reflection.”

Translated excerpts from Riquelme’s letter

“Mr. President, allow me first to express my deepest respect and gratitude for everything you have meant to Real Madrid over these past decades.

“Under your leadership, Real Madrid has not only won unforgettable titles and dominated world soccer, but has strengthened its independence, its institutional prestige, and its position as the most admired sports organization in the world.

“Because of the enormous respect your figure deserves, I am writing to you from Mexico, where I am on business and where I learned of the possibility of an imminent and accelerated call for presidential elections.

“Our club, after almost twenty years without a participatory electoral process, still operates under timelines that do not encourage the level of participation and listening expected in modern democracies.”

“Members across Spain and abroad deserve time and calm to debate Real Madrid’s future.

“We are fully prepared to engage in dialogue in the coming days and agree on a broader process that encourages real participation from members and Madridistas.

“This includes addressing long‑standing gaps such as mail‑in voting and the ability for candidates to contact eligible members.

“I want to be clear that I meet all financial and seniority requirements to run. I have the economic capacity and financial experience required, as demonstrated by the recent successful $2 billion issuance by Cox, the company where I serve as Executive Chairman and hold a 75% stake.

“Institutions that endure are those that unite experience with renewal, past with future, legacy with continuity.

“Whatever your decision, your presidency already belongs to the greatest history in world soccer. Ensuring unity through a participatory, calm, and transparent process would be the best legacy for Real Madrid’s future.”

— Enrique Riquelme. Member No. 43,858, Real Madrid C.F.

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