Enrique Riquelme has formally launched his bid to become Real Madrid's president, taking on long-serving incumbent Florentino Pérez in the first contested election for the role in 20 years. The renewables tycoon outlined ambitious plans to overhaul the club's infrastructure and reconnect with its membership base, rather than focusing solely on ending a two-year trophy drought.
Central to Riquelme's platform is a proposal to transform the Valdebebas training ground into "La Ciudad del Socio" – The Members' City. This would include an exclusive hotel, swimming pools, a gym, tennis and padel courts, basketball courts, football pitches, and other facilities aimed at creating a social hub for the club's more than 100,000 members. Riquelme also envisages a new 15,000-capacity arena for the basketball team, which could double as a concert venue. He did not disclose the cost or funding sources for these projects.
Other key pledges include a 50 per cent reduction in membership fees and a lottery system for 10,000 season tickets, designed to give members a fair chance of securing tickets without the long waiting lists currently in place.
Riquelme's bid is a direct response to a proposal by Pérez last November to create a subsidiary allowing outside investors to buy a stake of around 5 per cent in the club. Riquelme said he "vehemently rejects" this plan, accusing Pérez of seeking to "privatise the club." The proposal has not yet progressed and would require members to approve a change to the club's statutes at an extraordinary general meeting.
"In the 1950s, Real Madrid was a members' club. The members felt they were part of something. They knew they were the ones in charge," Riquelme said. "Between 2004 and 2026, Real Madrid lost its essence, and the members lost their club." He added that his project has been in development since 2021, stating: "Today is a very special day. There's no room for improvisation."
