Perez claims Real Madrid election victory
Florentino Perez has claimed victory in Real Madrid's presidential election, extending his long rule for four more years after the first credible challenge to his leadership in two decades.
The 79-year-old Spanish construction magnate was acclaimed as the winner by Real Madrid TV, while his rival, renewable energy tycoon Enrique Riquelme, conceded defeat around one hour ahead of the official tally being announced.
Perez won 65 per cent of the vote, the club's official count showed, while Riquelme took 35 per cent of a total of 33,555 members who voted at Madrid's Valdebebas training ground on the outskirts of the Spanish capital on Monday (AEST).
"I would like to congratulate Florentino Perez's campaign on its victory. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without an election," Riquelme said.
Perez called the election on 12 May despite having two years left on his mandate, after a second straight season without silverware for the record 15-times European champion and with arch-rival Barcelona retaining its LaLiga title.
He declared the result "extraordinary" in a victory speech at a hotel in the Spanish capital and said Madrid had "set an example to the world of transparency and harmony", despite the absence of official figures.
"This has been a great day for Real Madrid. We have won across the board, that is to say, across all age groups. And we have achieved the second-best result in the history of Real Madrid elections," Perez said, without disclosing the official percentage or turnout.
Perez first became Madrid president in 2000 and had renewed his mandate five times since 2009 by running unopposed. The club had not held a formal presidential vote since 2006, when Ramon Calderon won by a narrow margin.
In the build-up to Monday's (AEST) vote, Perez promised to appoint Benfica manager Jose Mourinho and said he would spend €150 million ($245.5 million) on an unnamed player to be revealed on Wednesday (AEST), a fee that would represent a club record.
He also said defenders Ibrahima Konate of Liverpool and Denzel Dumfries of Inter Milan would be his first signings if elected.
Benfica acknowledged Perez's interest in Mourinho in a statement to Portugal's CMVM market regulator, saying any move to appoint the Portuguese coach would require payment of €15 million ($24.6 million) to terminate his contract.
Riquelme had tried to unseat Perez with pledges to sign Manchester City pair Erling Haaland and Rodri, while pitching himself as the candidate who would bring members closer to a club he said had drifted away from them.
He promised to turn Valdebebas into a social hub featuring a hotel, swimming pools, a gym and a 15,000-capacity arena for Real Madrid's basketball team that could also host concerts.
His campaign also targeted Perez's proposal, raised last November, to create a subsidiary that would allow outside investors to buy a stake of around five per cent in the club. Riquelme said he "vehemently rejects" the plan and accused Perez of wanting to "privatise the club".
Perez has said Madrid's member-owned model would remain intact and that membership would have "a real and tangible value". Any change to the club's statutes would require approval at an extraordinary general meeting.
Real posted 2024-2025 revenue of €1.19 billion ($1.95 billion) and is valued by Forbes at $US6.8 billion ($9.7 billion), the highest rating of any football club in the world.
