The electoral race for the Real Madrid presidency keeps adding chapters of high tension. After the validity of his candidacy was confirmed, Alicante businessman Enrique Riquelme opened his campaign headquarters and gave a revealing interview to Diario ABC. In it, the president of Grupo Cox dropped what promises to be the bombshell of the transfer market and harshly attacked Florentino PĂ©rezâs management.
Transfer market bombshell: Two stars secured
Riquelmeâs most striking announcement focused on squad planning for next season, a strategy designed to win over Real Madrid voters with world-class names.
“We have signed two international stars. If we win the election, two major figures will play for Real Madrid,” he stated categorically.
The candidate said he will “probably” reveal the identities of both footballers in the coming weeks. He also insisted on the need to bring in a sporting director and was highly critical of the latest decisions regarding the bench: he called Xabi Alonsoâs departure a “mistake” and described Ălvaro Arbeloaâs interim spell as an unacceptable “experiment.” Although he did not confirm his ideal coach, he expressed deep admiration for JĂŒrgen Klopp, praising his management skills.
Stopping privatization as a red line
Beyond individual names, Riquelme placed the survival of the current ownership model at the heart of his campaign. The candidate warned that these “could be the last elections” if a statutory reform is allowed that gives the green light to outside capital.
For this reason, he publicly challenged Florentino PĂ©rez to debate: “Let him bring his privatization project and the club members will be able to decide.” On that basis, he insisted that his candidacy represents the only independent path, recalling that the costly bank guarantee was backed entirely by his own assets: “I donât have any big fish behind me.”
Financial criticism and the neglect of club members
Finally, the businessman focused on the clubâs social debts. He questioned how Real Madrid “loses 80 million euros a year” covered by extraordinary income, pointing to Real Madrid TVâs high budget compared with its low audience.
On the social side, he denounced the lack of transparency in ticket resales and the moving of long-time season-ticket holders to the upper sections of the BernabĂ©u to prioritize VIP boxes: “Why are the club members always put last?” he concluded.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in đȘđž here.