Riquelme: We Have a Professional and Ambitious Project, and This is What I Ask from the Members

The candidacy of Spanish businessman Enrique Riquelme for the presidency of Real Madrid has become official, opening the door for the first real presidential elections within the royal club since 2006, after many years during which Florentino Perez won the presidency unopposed.

Riquelme arrived at the electoral committee's headquarters in the city of Valdebebas on Saturday evening, after completing all the legal procedures related to his candidacy file, primarily documenting the bank guarantee for the electoral campaign. Submitting the official documents took about fifty minutes inside the club's offices before he came out to speak to the media.

Riquelme said in his statements: "Today is a very important day for Real Madrid, because after 20 years, members will be able to vote again. This campaign is not against anyone, but for Real Madrid. We have a very professional and ambitious project on both the sporting and social levels, and we want the member to be the foundation in all decisions."

He added, "I ask the members not to be afraid and to have the courage to listen to the two proposed projects and then make the appropriate decision. Once our candidacy is officially approved, we will work day and night to explain our project to the public."

The bank guarantee file for Requelme has sparked widespread controversy in recent hours, following reports that some Spanish banks refused to provide the required guarantee. However, the Spanish candidate managed to secure financial support from two officially registered banking institutions within the records of the Bank of Spain, which enhances the chances of his candidacy being officially accepted in the coming hours.

Some of the candidates for joining Riquelme's board of directors have started to emerge, including prominent businessmen and figures in the fields of investment, energy, and the medical sector. This move underscores his aim to present a new and different administrative project within the royal club.

The electoral committee is expected to review the candidacy file within 24 hours, and if it is officially approved, the election date will be set within a maximum of 15 days. This means that Real Madrid fans may head to the polls at the beginning of next June.

Florentino Pérez has presided over Real Madrid since 2009 without any electoral competition, having been elected unopposed in all previous terms. The last actual elections within the club date back to 2006, when Ramón Calderón was elected president of the royal club.