New Delhi: Florentino Perez will remain president of Real Madrid for another four years after winning the club election against challenger Enrique Reclame. Speaking to supporters after the result, Perez said: “We will keep working so that Real Madrid can win more titles.” The club has yet to release an official vote count, but Perez’s new term will run until 2030.The victory solidifies Perez’s future plans. One of his key goals is to bring Jose Mourinho back for a second spell as Real Madrid coach. Mourinho managed the club between 2010 and 2013 and featured prominently during Perez’s campaign. Perez said he was “proud that Jose Mourinho, one of the best coaches in the world, is ready to return.”Perez has also promised major changes to the team. He wants to sign Liverpool defender Ibrahim Konati and Inter Milan full-back Denzel Dumfries, while also teasing another high-profile signing worth more than €150m which is expected to be revealed this week.The 79-year-old businessman is one of the most influential figures in Real Madrid’s history. During his two spells in charge, the club won seven European Cups and became the most valuable football club in the world. However, recent years have been challenging. Madrid have 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 proposing to sell 10% of the club to private investors.Although he lost, Enrique Riquelme accepted the result and congratulated Perez. However, the 37-year-old renewable energy executive made it clear that he is not stepping away from club politics. “For us, this is not the end, this is the beginning,” said Riquelme. “Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without elections.”Riquelme has enlisted the support of former Madrid stars including Raul 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 as the Santiago Bernabeu stadium hosts events during Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Spain.
