Florentino Pérez mentioned it during his press conference on Tuesday when he remembered “that man with a South American accent,” and then corrected himself and said Mexican. He was referring to Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old Spanish businessman, born in Cox, Alicante, and a member of Real Madrid for more than two decades, who once again placed himself at the center of the scene after reiterating his intention to compete for the club’s presidency. Since Florentino called elections, Riquelme has made it clear that he wants to challenge the leader of the Bernabéu who has controlled the institution for 26 years.
Enrique Riquelme built his name away from football and close to energy businesses. The businessman resides in Mexico because he directs Cox Energy, an international renewable energy group with operations in Europe and America, as well as expansion in Italy and El Salvador. A few weeks ago he closed the purchase of Iberdrola México for US$4 billion, a move that strengthened his position in the sector and that would also allow him to face the €187 million guarantee required by Real Madrid’s statutes to aspire to the club’s presidency.
The idea of competing against Florentino Pérez is not new for Riquelme. In 2021, when he was 32 years old, he had already publicly expressed his desire to run for office, although he decided to wait another time. Then he assured that he sought to professionalize the club’s structure as much as possible with a specialized board of directors and more global management. Four years later, the businessman reappears as the figure trying to open an internal debate in an institution where Florentino maintains broad support among members.
Florentino’s competition
Riquelme has already sent an open letter to Florentino Pérez to ask that the electoral process be delayed and allow greater transparency and participation among the club’s members. The current president’s response was brief and was limited to referring to the current statutes of Real Madrid.
The businessman also has historical ties with Real Madrid fans. His father was a member of the board of directors headed by Ramón Calderón, a background that gives him closeness to the institutional structure of the club and reinforces his image as a candidate for the presidency.
Despite the media noise that his appearance generated, analysts and sectors close to the club consider that Riquelme’s options are limited due to the support that Florentino Pérez still retains among the majority of Real Madrid members.