Florentino Perez triumphs in Real Madrid presidential election to secure another four year term
The 79 year old Spanish construction magnate was declared the victor by Real Madrid TV, while his opponent, renewable energy entrepreneur Enrique Riquelme, conceded defeat just over an hour before the final results were announced.
Perez claimed 65% of the vote, according to the club's official figures, while Riquelme garnered 35% from a total of 33,555 members who cast their ballots at Real's Valdebebas training complex on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday.
"I want to congratulate Florentino Perez's team on its success. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without holding an election," Riquelme told journalists.
Perez called the election on May 12 despite having two years remaining on his term, following a second consecutive season without a trophy for the record 15 time European champions and with fierce rivals Barcelona retaining their LaLiga title.
He described the outcome as "remarkable" in a victory address at a hotel in the Spanish capital and said Real had "set a global example of transparency and unity".
"This has been a tremendous day for Real Madrid. We have succeeded across the board, meaning across all age groups. And we have secured the second best result in the history of Real Madrid elections," Perez stated.
Perez first became Real president in 2000 and had renewed his mandate five times since 2009 by running unopposed. The club had not held a formal presidential vote since 2006, when Ramon Calderon won by a narrow margin.
In the lead up to Sunday's vote, Perez pledged to appoint Benfica manager Jose Mourinho and said he would spend 150 million euros on an unnamed player to be revealed on Tuesday, a fee that would constitute a club record.
He also indicated that defenders Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries would be his first signings if elected.
Benfica acknowledged Perez's interest in Mourinho in a statement to Portugal's CMVM market regulator, stating that any move to appoint the Portuguese coach would require payment of 15 million euros to terminate his contract.
Riquelme had sought to unseat Perez with promises to sign Manchester City duo Erling Haaland and Rodri, while presenting himself as the candidate who would bring members closer to a club he argued had distanced itself from them.
He vowed to transform Valdebebas into a social hub featuring a hotel, swimming pools, a gym and a 15,000 capacity arena for Real Madrid's basketball team that could also host concerts.
His campaign also targeted Perez's proposal, raised last November, to create a subsidiary that would allow outside investors to purchase a stake of around 5% in the club. Riquelme said he "strongly rejects" the plan and accused Perez of wanting to "privatise the club".
Perez has said Real's member owned model would remain unchanged and that membership would have "a real and tangible value". Any alteration to the club's statutes would require approval at an extraordinary general meeting.
Real posted 2024-25 revenue of 1.19 billion euros and are valued by Forbes at $6.75 billion, the highest in world football.