Florentino Pérez Re-elected Real Madrid President, Paving Way for Mourinho's Return
Florentino Pérez won re-election as Real Madrid president on Sunday, securing a fourth term through 2030 after defeating challenger Enrique Riquelme. Pérez's victory enables him to pursue his stated goal of bringing José Mourinho back as coach and pursue major player signings including a mystery €150 million+ acquisition. The election marks the first competitive presidential challenge at Madrid in over 20 years, though Pérez remains the clear favorite despite recent setbacks including two seasons without titles.
Florentino Pérez has been re-elected as Real Madrid president after winning club elections held Sunday at Madrid's basketball pavilion, defeating renewable energy executive Enrique Riquelme. The 79-year-old Pérez, who has led the club since 2009 (and previously from 2000-2006), secured victory with the backing of club members and immediately signaled plans to bring Portuguese coach José Mourinho back for a second stint after his 2010-2013 tenure. Pérez also announced intentions to sign Liverpool's Ibrahima Konaté, Inter Milan's Denzel Dumfries, and a third major player worth over €150 million. Despite Madrid's recent struggles—two seasons without titles despite signing Kylian Mbappé—Pérez has maintained strong institutional support, with Madrid remaining the world's most valuable club according to Forbes. Riquelme, backed by former Madrid players including Raúl González and Iker Casillas, mounted a credible campaign but accepted defeat while signaling he may run again, vowing that Madrid will not go another 20 years without competitive elections.
What's missing
The exact vote totals and margin of victory were not disclosed by the club at the time of reporting, limiting transparency on the scale of Pérez's mandate.
What different sources said
- ABC News PoliticsCenter
Pérez re-elected Real Madrid president to pave way for Mourinho's return
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