News Focus
- Enrique Riquelme has paid the €187 million bank guarantee to stand against Florentino Pérez in the June 7 election.
- The challenger claims he has already secured agreements with two major international players for the summer.
- Riquelme heavily criticised the €1.7 billion Bernabéu renovation, calling the seating cramped and the facilities poorly planned.
- He has demanded a public debate with Pérez regarding plans to privatise the club and sell shares.
- Reports suggest Raúl González is the preferred managerial choice, though Riquelme admires Jürgen Klopp.
Enrique Riquelme has officially entered the race for the Real Madrid presidency. He submitted his bank guarantee of €187 million on Saturday. This payment allows him to challenge Florentino Pérez in the club’s first election for two decades.
The vote will take place on Sunday, 7 June. Riquelme has promised a complete transformation of the club. He states he has already signed two major international stars. These players will join the squad if he wins the election. He plans to announce their names in the coming weeks.
The candidate has strongly criticised the current board. He attacked the recent stadium renovation. The project has cost €1.7 billion. Riquelme says the seats are too small and packed too tightly. He claims fans must leave ten minutes before half-time just to buy a drink.
Riquelme also questioned the club’s financial health. He says Real Madrid loses €80 million each year without selling assets. He criticised the €45 million annual spend on the club’s television channel, RMTV. He accused Pérez of always putting the members last.
Regarding the dugout, Riquelme called Jürgen Klopp a good manager. However, Spanish media report that Raúl González is the more realistic target for the job. Riquelme also stated that sacking Xabi Alonso was a mistake. He wants a public debate with Pérez about the proposed sale of club shares.