Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme has formally pledged to appoint club legend Raúl González Blanco as the organization’s sporting director should he win the upcoming election. The announcement was made during an appearance on the Cadena SER program El Larguero, where Riquelme framed the potential appointment as a necessary return to the club’s traditional identity.
Riquelme argued that the role requires a figure intimately familiar with the internal culture of the Santiago Bernabéu. He cited González’s tenure of 16 seasons, his record of over 740 appearances, and his status as a long-time international representative for Spain as primary qualifications for overseeing the club’s sporting operations and youth development structures.
Beyond the appointment of a sporting director, Riquelme addressed his recruitment strategy for the first team. He explicitly named Manchester City midfielder Rodrigo Hernández as a primary target for his administration, citing the player’s professional profile and recent accolades. “If I am president, a player like Rodri will play at Real Madrid,” Riquelme stated. The candidate further claimed to have reached preliminary agreements with an unnamed foreign coach and a striker, though he declined to provide specific identities.
Addressing the current squad, Riquelme acknowledged the contractual obligations of Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, maintaining that both remain integral to the club’s current roster regardless of the upcoming electoral process.
The Debate Over Institutional Ownership
Riquelme positioned his candidacy as a direct challenge to the current institutional trajectory of Real Madrid. He characterized his primary motivation for running as an effort to block the potential sale of the club to outside investors. Riquelme alleged that the current leadership is orchestrating a series of procedural steps—beginning with elections and leading toward a potential referendum—intended to facilitate a change in the club’s ownership model.
“My red line was the sale of the club,” Riquelme said, asserting that his opposition to these perceived plans is the cornerstone of his campaign platform.
Riquelme expressed frustration regarding the lack of direct engagement from the incumbent leadership. While he has publicly called for a debate to discuss these institutional matters, the current administration has not accepted the invitation. As the election cycle continues, the central dispute remains the future of the club’s ownership structure and the extent to which the current leadership intends to pursue a transition away from the member-owned model.
