NEW DELHI: Florentino Pérez will remain Real Madrid president for another four years after winning the club’s election against challenger Enrique Riquelme. Speaking to supporters after the result, Pérez said: “We are going to keep working so that Real Madrid keeps winning more titles.” The club has not yet released the official vote count, but Pérez’s new term will run until 2030.The victory strengthens Pérez’s plans for the future. One of his key goals is bringing back José Mourinho for a second spell as Real Madrid coach. Mourinho managed the club between 2010 and 2013 and was featured prominently during Pérez’s campaign. Pérez said he was “proud that José Mourinho, one of the best coaches in the world, is set to return.”Pérez has also promised major changes to the squad. He wants to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konaté and Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries, while also teasing another high-profile signing worth more than 150 million euros that is expected to be revealed this week.The 79-year-old businessman has been one of the most influential figures in Real Madrid’s history. During his two spells in charge, the club has won seven European Cups and become the world’s most valuable football club. However, recent years have been challenging. Madrid has gone two seasons without winning a trophy despite signing star forward Kylian Mbappé, while Pérez’s proposed European Super League project failed to take off. He also faced criticism after suggesting the sale of 10% of the club to private investors.Although he lost, Enrique Riquelme accepted the result and congratulated Pérez. However, the 37-year-old renewable energy executive made it clear he is not stepping away from club politics. “For us, this is not the end, this is the beginning,” Riquelme said. “Real Madrid won’t spend another 20 years without holding elections.”Riquelme gained support from former Madrid stars including Raúl González, Fernando Hierro and Iker Casillas during his campaign. Around 98,000 club members were eligible to vote, with the election taking place at Madrid’s basketball arena because the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium is hosting events during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Spain.
