Perez to identify Casillas & other opponents through election; Mourinho presentation expected soon

Real Madrid C.F. officially announced that Florentino Pérez had successfully won the Real Madrid presidential election, with his new term lasting until 2030. Earlier, The Athletic published a special article providing a comprehensive interpretation of the subsequent impacts of "El Presidente"'s successful re-election.

Florentino Pérez was smoothly re-elected as president of Real Madrid C.F., defeating his opponent, Enrique Riquelme, with 65% of the votes in this election.

This marks the first time in 20 years that Real Madrid members have participated in an election for the club president. In the five previous presidential elections in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025, the then-president, Pérez, ran unopposed and was automatically elected.

On May 12 this year, the 79-year-old Pérez held a highly anticipated and rare press conference. During the conference, he directly accused certain forces of secretly targeting him, claiming that some people were deliberately plotting to oust him, and he proactively announced the initiation of the club presidential election, despite his original term not ending until 2029.

El Presidente's proactive decision to seek support from club members for a vote is rooted in the Real Madrid team's failure to secure a major championship for two consecutive seasons.

Approximately 100,000 Real Madrid members were eligible to vote in this election. Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, became El Presidente's sole challenger in this campaign.

Florentino Pérez is the longest-serving president in Real Madrid's history. His first tenure as president was from 2000 to 2006, after which Ramón Calderón took over. After Calderón resigned in 2009, El Presidente was re-elected and has served ever since. Concurrently, he is also the chairman and CEO of the Spanish ACS civil engineering group.

After his victory, Florentino Pérez publicly stated: "We won at all polling stations. This is the second-best election result in Real Madrid's history, and the outcome is excellent. The results could have been even more perfect, but 1000 postal votes were deemed invalid, and we will appeal this decision.

"We have demonstrated through our actions that Real Madrid is both a democratic collective and a warm big family. Today is a significant election day. In the future, we will continue to give our all, and we are also proud of the return of the world-class manager, José Mourinho. Please remember: under my leadership, Real Madrid has belonged, belongs, and will always belong to every member. You are the ones who embody the true meaning of 'Madridismo,' a spirit that unites millions of fans worldwide, including the Pope."

The voting officially began at 9 AM local time in Madrid. Florentino Pérez completed his vote near 10 AM, while Riquelme arrived at the polling station an hour later to cast his vote. The polls officially closed at 8 PM that evening.

"After 20 years, members have finally re-exercised their right to vote," Riquelme told reporters after voting.

"We ran to prevent the club from being sold," he added, referring to Florentino Pérez's plan to bring in external investment. "If we hadn't stepped up to run, this club would eventually have been put on the trading block. This wasn't just an ordinary election; it was a club-wide referendum. If members had abstained from voting, this might have been the last election for the Real Madrid we know."

Real Madrid is one of only four remaining member-owned football clubs in Spain, the others being Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, and Osasuna.

After losing the election, Riquelme reiterated his core stance on membership: "This is not the end, but the beginning of a new journey. We will move forward more resolutely than ever, fully defending the club's member-owned operating model."

What does this result mean for El Presidente?

Florentino Pérez originally didn't need to initiate this election, as his original term lasted until 2029. However, at the highly anticipated press conference on May 12, he proactively announced the start of the vote and called on his competitors to "step out of the shadows" and face him directly.

Against the backdrop of the team failing to win any major trophies for two consecutive seasons and constant off-field controversies at the club, this impromptu election aimed to solidify his dominant position at the Bernabéu.

Despite the 79-year-old Pérez successfully securing a new four-year term, it remains to be seen whether his reputation and standing within the club and among the public have improved.

Before El Presidente's lengthy media briefing last month, most Real Madrid members knew nothing about Riquelme. This presidential election allowed Riquelme to continuously and publicly criticize many of El Presidente's policies that were unpopular with fans, especially his plan to sell a portion of the club's shares, for which he had never provided a clear and reasonable explanation.

In recent weeks, several Real Madrid legends who had grown distant from El Presidente publicly sided with challenger Riquelme, including Raúl, Hierro, and Casillas. This phenomenon strongly suggests that a change in Real Madrid's management in the future is not entirely impossible.

El Presidente has temporarily repelled the opposition off the field, but his most pressing need is for the team to perform outstandingly in the 2026-27 season and for the decision to bring back Mourinho as coach to yield positive results. Otherwise, discontent both inside and outside the Bernabéu stadium will continue to accumulate and ferment.

What does this mean for Mourinho?

The Athletic reported as early as April 28 that Mourinho was El Presidente's chosen new Real Madrid coach. The two sides negotiated in early May and finalized a three-year contract, but the presidential election caused Mourinho's appointment process to be delayed.

According to the original plan, Mourinho's official announcement and unveiling ceremony were scheduled for the week of May 25, two days after Real Madrid's final match of the season.

However, on May 23, the day before the deadline for candidate registration, Riquelme officially confirmed his candidacy to challenge El Presidente. If Real Madrid had announced Mourinho as planned, it would have triggered a €6 million release clause in Mourinho's contract with Benfica, which was only valid until May 29.

Now, for Real Madrid to sign Mourinho, they will need to activate another release clause in his contract with Benfica, paying a €15 million buyout fee. Mourinho took over as Benfica coach last September, and his original contract was due to expire in June 2027.

This Thursday, Benfica officially confirmed that Real Madrid had formally informed the club that they would activate Mourinho's release clause on the Sunday following the presidential election. El Presidente had previously publicly stated that if he were re-elected, Mourinho would be Real Madrid's coach during his tenure.

It is understood that Mourinho will bring his entire coaching staff from Benfica to Real Madrid, including assistant coaches João Tralhão and Pedro Machado, analyst Roberto Merella, fitness coach António Dias, and goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos. Mourinho's official unveiling ceremony is expected to take place this week.

What does this mean for Real Madrid's transfers?

Many Real Madrid fans are now looking forward to El Presidente's public promise on Spanish television last Thursday evening. He stated that Real Madrid would make a club-record transfer offer of €150 million for a mysterious star player, also revealing that this player is not a Premier League player, nor a defender or goalkeeper, but a genuine "Galáctico-level" top star.

El Presidente also promised to sign Liverpool defender Konate on a free transfer after his contract expires, and that the club has already finalized the signing of Dumfries from Internazionale.

For Real Madrid, this summer transfer window is crucial for strengthening the squad. In the past two seasons, the team's defense and midfield have repeatedly exposed problems and faced criticism due to insufficient squad depth. Meanwhile, the contracts of right-back Carvajal and center-back David Alaba are both set to expire at the end of June, and their departures would further exacerbate the team's squad gaps.

During Ancelotti's second four-year spell at Real Madrid (2021-2025), the Italian coach had very limited influence on major club decisions. Last summer, Xabi Alonso gained more influence after joining from Leverkusen but was sacked in January this year.

It is currently unclear how much coaching authority Mourinho will have at Real Madrid in the future, but he has been planning with the club management for several weeks, clearly identifying the team's reinforcement needs. He hopes the club will sign a backup right-back, a left-back who can compete with Carreras for a starting spot, a strong starting center-back, and an attacking midfielder.

What does this mean for Riquelme?

On May 26, during an interview with The Athletic, Riquelme frankly stated: "This election has taken a huge personal and professional toll on me. Our goal in running was to win. I invested nearly €200 million of my personal assets; participating in the election so publicly was absolutely not just for show, that would be meaningless."

Since his second tenure began in 2009, Florentino Pérez has accumulated immense power during his 17 years without opposition. During his time in office, he led Real Madrid to six Champions League titles and significantly improved the club's financial situation. Challenging such an deeply entrenched leader is undoubtedly difficult.

However, Riquelme still mounted a highly competitive campaign. He precisely targeted several key weaknesses of El Presidente during his tenure, and his bold promise to "sign Haaland" also successfully garnered significant attention.

El Presidente clearly felt the potential threat; otherwise, he wouldn't have publicly called on Riquelme to "come out of the shadows" and participate in the election. It is also clear that Riquelme is an extremely ambitious contender.

It would not be surprising if he were to return in the future, mounting a challenge with a more mature, composed, and powerful stance.