Florentino Perez and Enrique Riquelme, the 2 candidates for president of Real Madrid in the June 7th elections, differ over the choice of the club’s next coach. Perez is highlighted by the Spanish press as being in favor of José Mourinho. Riquelme, in turn, stated that he already has a defined coach, but refuses to disclose the name before the election.
The election will be held between 9am and 8pm (Madri time) in the basketball pavilion of the Merengue sports complex. The process marks the return to the polls after 18 years — the last vote took place in 2006, when Ramón Calderón won the dispute.
Mourinho on Perez’s radar
José Mourinho appears on the covers of the main Spanish newspapers as Florentino Perez’s preference if the leader is elected. The Portuguese coach is seen as a viable option to replace the club’s current technical command. Perez, 79, is serving his seventh term as president since 2000.
Perez has not publicly confirmed the signing of Mourinho, but reports indicate that the Portuguese is his preferred candidate. The lack of definition on the issue occurs in an electoral context, which led to criticism from his rival.
Riquelme maintains suspense over coach
Enrique Riquelme ruled out the possibility of hiring José Mourinho if he wins the election. The 37-year-old candidate, owner of 75% of Grupo Cox Energy (renewable energy sector), criticized Perez’s strategy of announcing names during the campaign period.
“It seems bad to me to hire someone in the middle of a candidacy, forcing the club in the middle of an election,” said Riquelme on COPE’s Partidazo radio program. The businessman, nicknamed “Rei of Sol” in the financial market, guaranteed that his team already has a defined coach, but protected his identity.
What Riquelme revealed about his project
Riquelme presented part of his technical proposal without naming the chosen coach:
- Treinador with full technical team
- Profissional who never played for Real Madrid
- Também defined a sports director
- Estrutura must be released before the elections
- Nomes will be known by members before the election
“We closed the coach before the candidacy. Não we can explain everything, but he is a coach with a team and who has never been to Real Madrid”, declared Riquelme, maintaining the suspense over the choice.
Contexto Election and Voting
The Real Madrid electoral commission validated the 2 registered candidacies. Podem votes for members of legal age, a group of more than 90 thousand affiliates. The June 7 election will be the first with competition since 2006.
Florentino Perez became president in 2000 and was re-elected in 2004, beating Lorenzo Sanz on both occasions. From 2009 onwards, he did not face any competitors. In the last choice, at the beginning of 2024, the process was only protocol, without rival candidates.
Enrique Riquelme represents a new force in the merengue market. Sua’s career as a renewable energy entrepreneur brought financial visibility to the businessman, who is now vying for command of Europa’s most successful club.