Florentino Perez has called fresh presidential elections at Real Madrid president as he seeks to begin a fifth term as club supremo.
Perez has won the last three presidential elections at the club – in 2009, 2013 and 2017 – the last two of which were without a rival candidate following a change due to the club constitution in 2012.
That is because of a rule change – implemented under Perez’s regime and voted through in 2012 – to make challengers to the position have to meet several thresholds, including 20 years of club membership and presenting 15 percent of the club’s budget – currently a figure equating to €92.5m.
As well as his role at Madrid, Perez is the chairman and CEO of Grupo ACS, a civil engineering company and the largest construction company in Spain, with Forbes claiming he has a net worth of $1.8b.
Perez, now aged 74, has now called elections for this year in an event which is likely to be prominent in Real Madrid news over the coming months.
“The President, after the board meeting held today, and in accordance with article 38 section B of the bylaws of Real Madrid C.F., has asked the Electoral Board to initiate the procedure for calling elections,” the club said in a statement released this week.
Comunicado Oficial.#RealMadrid
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 1, 2021
Indeed, Perez has been at the helm of Madrid since 2000 aside from the 2006-09 period which had Ramon Calderon as supremo.
It is unclear if these elections will be contested by a rival to Perez.
Enrique Riquelme – who is aged just 32 and is the founder and largest shareholder of Cox Energy – told El Confidencial last month that he intended to one day challenge Perez, but club rules would likely forbid him from running this year.
