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Big win for Pérez but has he been damaged?

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.

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.

 

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