Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published on Tuesday, 02 June 2026, 09:25 / Updated on Tuesday, 02 June 2026 09:26
Enrique Riquelme will run for the presidency of Real Madrid on June 7, against the current holder of the position, Florentino Perez.
Invited to the show “El Larguero” on the radio station SER, Riquelme came up with two fabulous names in support of his candidacy. First, he announced that if he wins the June 7 election, he will appoint the legendary Raul González Blanco as sporting director.
Enrique Riquelme: “That's how I convinced Raul”
“We have already completed. He is Spanish. For this project and given the current situation of the club, we have to go back to those values, to that Madridism, to the DNA. It has to be a Real Madrid legend, accompanied by top professionals, someone who has played for Real Madrid in over 740 games, 16 seasons, scored over 300 goals and accumulated over 100 caps for the national team…
There is no one who knows the Bernabéu better. And this is the person I have chosen,” said the current president's opponent, Florentino Perez, before revealing the name of the chosen one: “He is the right person to lead a sports project like the one we will implement at Real Madrid. It is Raúl González Blanco. If I am president, Raúl will be the sporting director of Real Madrid.”
Riquelme also explained how he convinced the former Real forward to accept the offer: “I had to explain to him the project, what we expect from him and what we think he can contribute. There is no one more suitable for this position than him. In addition, there are a number of Real Madrid legends who will be part of the project.”
Enrique Riquelme: “If I am president, a player like Rodri will play for Real Madrid”
Transfers? “Rodri is a fantastic player, a Ballon d'Or winner, originally from Madrid, and I would love to have a player like Rodri at Real Madrid. If I am president, a player like Rodri will play for Real Madrid.
But I'm not the president yet, and he has a contract with his club, which we have to respect. I contacted his agent. It's one of two names we've been working on and will announce in the coming days”, said the Spanish businessman, co-founder of COX Energy.
Enrique Riquelme does not want Jose Mourinho as coach
Riquelme announced that the second player to be acquired is a foreigner, but did not want to reveal his name: “I would like to announce him on Wednesday.” The new coach?
“I have one, but the idea is to announce names during the week. Every day I will come up with a surprise. But I can say it is not Jose Mourinho. Mou is a great coach who had his moment at Real Madrid but is not the one we need now“, said the businessman.
Carlo Ancelotti supports Florentino Perez
On the other side, Florentino Perez strengthened his campaign team with Carlo Ancelotti. Even as he prepares to lead Brazil's national team at the 2026 World Cup, the Italian coach took time out to support his former president.
Carlo Ancelotti's message of support for the current president, Florentino Perez
Ancelotti posted a photo on his Instagram account, where he appears alongside Florentino Pérez, accompanied by a clear message: “There's still a lot of history to be written.”
