Florentino Perez has been re-elected Real Madrid president, winning 65 per cent of the votes in an electoral victory over challenger Enrique Riquelme.
It was the first time Madrid’s members had voted for the club president in 20 years, with the incumbent Perez elected unopposed in each of Madrid’s previous five electoral cycles, held in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025.
The 79-year-old held a rare and remarkable press conference on May 12, in which he took aim at perceived enemies “in the shadows”, saying there was a campaign to remove him from the position and announced an election — despite having an active mandate until 2029.
Perez was seeking a show of support after the club’s second consecutive season without a major trophy.
Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, emerged as the sole challenger to Perez’s position in an election in which around 100,000 Madrid club members were eligible to cast their ballot.
Perez is the longest-serving president in Madrid’s history and is in his second spell in the post (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
Perez is the longest-serving president in Madrid’s history, having first held the position between 2000 and 2006, when he was replaced by Ramon Calderon. Perez, who is also the chairman and CEO of civil engineering company ACS Group, was subsequently re-elected in 2009 following Calderon’s resignation, and has held the position ever since.
After his victory, he said: “We have won across all the tables. We have achieved the second-best result in Real Madrid’s history. It is an extraordinary result, and it could have been even better because 1,000 postal votes were invalidated, but we will appeal that decision.
“We have shown that we are both a democracy and a great family. It has been a remarkable election day. We will continue working hard, and we are proud that one of the best managers in the world, Jose Mourinho, is returning. Make no mistake: under my leadership, Real Madrid has always belonged, belongs, and will always belong to its members. You have demonstrated what Madridismo is — the spirit that unites millions of people around the world, including the Pope.”
The polls had opened up at 9am local time, with Perez voting just before 10am, and Riquelme turning up to cast his vote almost an hour later. Voting closed at 8pm.
Riquelme cast his vote on Sunday morning (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
“After 20 years, people can vote,” Riquelme said in a speech to journalists after casting his vote.
“We ran our campaign to stop the sale of the club,” he added, in reference to Perez’s plans to get external investment. “If we hadn’t taken this step, the club would have been up for sale. This isn’t a normal election; it’s a referendum. If the members don’t vote, these would be the last elections for Real Madrid as we know it.”
Madrid are one of four clubs in Spain which are still member-owned, alongside Barcelona, Athletic Club and Osasuna.
Riquelme returned to the ownership theme after his defeat, saying: “This is not the end of anything; it is the beginning of a journey. We will continue working, with greater determination than ever, to defend a club model that belongs to its members.”
What does the result mean for Perez?
Perez did not need to call this election. He had an active mandate until 2029, but announced the vote in a remarkable press conference on May 12, calling on his rivals to “come out of the shadows” and face him.
This snap decision was aimed at strengthening his power at the Bernabeu, after a second successive season without a trophy, and a string of difficult off-pitch setbacks.
Although the 79-year-old has now won a new four-year mandate, it is arguable that his standing inside and outside the club has not improved.
Few Madrid members even knew who Riquelme was before Perez’s rambling media event last month. But the campaign has allowed Riquelme to regularly prod at Perez policies which are not hugely popular with fans, especially his poorly explained plan to sell a part of the club to an external investor.
The past few weeks also saw Bernabeu legends not close to Perez align with the challenger, including Raul, Fernando Hierro and Iker Casillas, showing clearly that a different leadership group for the club is possible at some point.
Perez has seen off that opposition for now, but what he really needs is the team to have a successful 2026-27, and the decision to rehire Jose Mourinho as coach to pay off.
Otherwise, rumblings of discontent will continue around the Bernabeu.
What does it mean for Mourinho?
The Athletic first reported on April 28 that Mourinho was Perez’s preferred candidate to replace Alvaro Arbeloa as manager. Talks were held in early May, and a three-year contract was then signed — but the election led to delays in proceeding with the appointment.
Initially, the formal announcement and unveiling of Mourinho as Madrid’s next manager was planned to take place during the week starting Monday, May 25 — two days after their final game of the season.
Mourinho is set to join Real Madrid (Photo: Henrique Casinhas / AFP via Getty Images)
But by May 23, one day before the deadline by which candidates had to come forward, Riquelme was confirmed to be running against Perez in the vote. Had Madrid decided to keep to the original timeframe, they could have activated a €6million break clause in Mourinho’s Benfica deal, but this was only valid until May 29.
Now, Mourinho’s appointment will cost Madrid €15million. This is the value of a separate release clause in his contract with Benfica, who he joined in September on a deal until June 2027.
On Thursday, Benfica confirmed Madrid had informed them of their intention to meet the clause after Sunday’s vote. Perez had already made it publicly known that Mourinho would be his coach if he won.
Mourinho is now expected to join Madrid, along with his Benfica assistants Joao Tralhao and Pedro Machado, analyst Roberto Merella, fitness coach Antonio Dias, and goalkeeper coach Nuno Santos, and an official unveiling will likely take place this week.
What does it mean for transfers?
For many Madrid fans, excited attention will now turn to the promise Perez made on Spanish TV on Thursday night. He said Madrid would make a club record bid of €150million for a mystery player he described as a “total galactico”, adding that they did not play in the Premier League and were not a defender or goalkeeper.
Perez has also already committed to bringing in Ibrahima Konate on a free transfer on the expiry of his contract at Liverpool, also saying the club had a deal in place to sign Denzel Dumfries from Inter.
This is an important transfer window for Madrid. Over the past two seasons, they have suffered significantly from a lack of squad depth in defence and midfield, and the imminent departures of right-back Dani Carvajal and centre-back David Alaba (whose contracts expire at the end of June) create further gaps to be filled.
Konate has left Liverpool after his contract expired (Photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
During the four years of Carlo Ancelotti’s second spell as coach (2021-2025), the Italian had little say in major decisions. Last summer, Xabi Alonso was given a greater voice after his appointment from Bayer Leverkusen, before being sacked in January.
It remains to be seen how much power Mourinho will have, but he has been planning with the club for weeks based on the positions he believes need strengthening. He has asked for a backup right-back, a left-back to compete with Alvaro Carreras, a dominant centre-back and a creative midfielder.
What does it mean for Riquelme?
In an interview with The Athletic on May 26, Riquelme said: “This process comes with a huge personal and professional cost, and we are here to win now. I did not enter this race, commit nearly €200million of my own personal wealth, and expose myself in the way I have simply to take part. What would be the point of that?”
It was always going to be a tough ask to take on the power Perez has gathered in these past 17 unchallenged years in charge of Madrid, winning six Champions League titles and overseeing a dramatic upturn in the club’s financial fortunes since returning for a second spell as president in 2009.
However, Riquelme still put together a credible campaign. He targeted several key issues which he knew were a point of weakness for Perez, and his ambitious Erling Haaland gambit certainly achieved the effect of gathering attention for his candidacy.
Perez clearly felt there was a potential threat there — why else would he have called on him to “come out of the shadows”? And Riquelme is clearly an ambitious man.
Few would be surprised if he returns for another go, older, wiser, and perhaps stronger.
