Real Madrid presidential candidate: I have two stars I will recruit if elected

Real Madrid's presidential candidate, Enrique Requelme, promises two stars if elected (Instagram/@enriqueriquelmev).

JAKARTA - Real Madrid's presidential candidate, Enrique Riquelme, claims to have two unnamed international stars to strengthen the team if he is elected to replace Florentino Perez.

Real Madrid will hold an election for the first time in 20 years, after Riquelme's candidacy to face Perez was officially approved by the club's election commission on Sunday, May 24, 2026, local time.

Perez, 79, held a members' vote after Real Madrid ended a second successive season without winning a major trophy.

Now he will face renewable energy tycoon Riquelme, 37, in the first single-candidate election since 2006.

"We have recruited two international stars. I have an agreement that if I become president, two big international stars will play for Real Madrid."

"Two stars are needed for the team, the sports project in the short, medium and long term," Riquelme told ABC newspaper in an interview on Monday, May 25, 2026, local time, without mentioning the names of the players involved.

Riquelme went on to say that he would probably confirm the identity of the players during the presidential campaign, which is scheduled to last up to the next two weeks according to the club's statutes.

Riquelme opened his campaign headquarters on Monday, May 25, 2026, across the street from the Bernabeu Stadium.

Apart from that, Perez has led Real Madrid since 2000, with a three-year break after resigning in 2006. He was elected without opponents in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025.

ESPN has reported that former Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has agreed to a two-year contract to return to the club as coach, but it is currently unclear when an official confirmation of his appointment will come given the presidential election process.

Real Madrid started the season with Xabi Alonso as coach, before he was sacked in January 2026 and replaced by reserve team coach, Alvaro Arbeloa.

Requelme also commented on the manager's seat that was confused during Perez's leadership without a title in two consecutive seasons.

"If I become president, we will evaluate (Mourinho's return). However, we want to create a long-term project."

"The decision to bring (Alonso) in was right and the mistake to sack him. You can't create a project in three months. He lacked the time and ability to make decisions," Riquelme said.

Despite this, Riquelme did not want to reveal who his preferred coach was.

"I like (Jurgen) Klopp, but there are other coaches I also like. Real Madrid can't experiment with coaches. Maybe (Arbeloa) wasn't right for that time," he said.

Riquelme also said he would appoint Los Blancos' sporting director if he won the election.

"I already have one person in mind. We will announce it in the next few days," he said.

Meanwhile, Spain's national team coach Luis de la Fuente announced his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on Monday, May 25, 2026, without including Real Madrid players, after Dean Huijsen joined Dani Carvajal who was also cut.

"It saddens me. However, this is the reality of years without professional management. When sports decisions are made in the office and not by people who know about sports management, things like this happen," said Riquelme.