79-year-old has been re-elected unopposed in the five occasions since 2013 that elections have been called
Spanish businessman Enrique Riquelme has entered the race for the Real Madrid presidency after he informed the club’s electoral commission of his intention to stand against incumbent Florentino Perez.
It means Perez now has a challenger for the position and could lose the elections if they are eventually called.
Perez triggered the electoral process last week after calling for elections and confirming he would seek another term. He has overseen an era of sustained dominance at the club but is now presiding over a second consecutive season without a major trophy.
The 79-year-old has been re-elected unopposed in the five occasions since 2013 that elections have been called. The last time an election was fiercely contested in 2006, Perez lost to Ramon Calderon.
In a letter submitted on Thursday, Riquelme said he aimed to present “a project for the Real Madrid of the future”. He now has 48 hours to formally register his candidacy and proposed board under club statutes.
After that, the electoral commission will assess its validity. If more than one candidate is approved, a vote among club members will be scheduled.
In 2012 at Perez’s behest, Madrid’s electoral rules were changed to be more restrictive. Presidential candidates are required to hold Spanish nationality, have been club members for at least 20 years and have personal wealth equivalent to 15% of the club’s annual budget, which currently amounts to €187m.
This season, Madrid have faced criticism amid reports of ego problems, bust-ups within the squad, and going two seasons without a trophy. Rivals Barcelona claimed the La Liga title by directly beating Madrid in the clásico at Camp Nou and moving a decisive 11 points clear. They also beat Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup to claim the trophy in Jeddah in January.
Madrid were equally eliminated in the Champions League quarter-finals by Bayern Munich and knocked out of the Copa del Rey by second-division side Albacete. The club sacked Xabi Alonso and replaced him with reserve-team coach Alvaro Arbeloa but results did not improve.
