Real Madrid has set the clock ticking to define its future. According to a club statement, starting this Thursday, May 14th, the deadline for submitting candidacies for the presidency and the Board of Directors of the club is open.
According to the calendar published by the Electoral Board, members wishing to run in the elections have until May 23rd to formalize their proposals. Additionally, from this Thursday until Monday, May 18th, all members can check and claim their inclusion in the electoral roll online or in person.
Having 20 years of seniority as a member and depositing a guarantee worth 187 million euros, 15% of the expense budget, are the main requirements to challenge Florentino Pérez for the presidency, who has been leading the club since 2000, except for the two and a half years of Ramón Calderón.
The admission and proclamation of candidacies will be immediate, just a day after their submission. And within the following two natural days, appeals can be made against their acceptance or rejection. If more than one list is ultimately validated, the Electoral Board will proceed to set the date and location for the voting.
The electoral call was announced on Tuesday at a press conference by Florentino Pérez, who, after lamenting the persecutions he believes the club is facing, urged the "people acting in the shadows" to come forward. "They will have to shoot me because I have the support of all Real Madrid members," he asserted.
So far, only businessman Enrique Riquelme, whom Florentino Pérez referred to without mentioning his name, has openly expressed his intention to run, although in a statement released on Wednesday night, he clarified that he has not yet made a decision. "We will see if we take up the challenge in the coming days and if there is time to do something meaningful," Riquelme stated in Mexico City.