‘If I am president, they will play for Real Madrid’: Riquelme doubles down on Haaland, Rodri claims | OneFootball

The Erling Haaland controversy surrounding the Real Madrid presidential elections has taken yet another dramatic turn, with candidate Enrique Riquelme now publicly responding to the growing backlash.

What started as a headline-grabbing campaign promise has evolved into one of the biggest stories surrounding the election. 

After Riquelme unveiled Haaland as one of his marquee signings if elected president, the situation escalated when both the player’s representatives and Manchester City moved to distance themselves from the claims.

Despite those developments, Riquelme remains adamant that his project includes both Haaland and Rodri as future Real Madrid players.

What’s the story?

The controversy began when Riquelme publicly declared that he would bring both Haaland and Rodri to the Santiago Bernabeu if he wins the upcoming election.

However, the story changed when Haaland’s father, Alfie Haaland, and agent Rafaela Pimenta issued a statement denying reports of any agreement.

Riquelme has defended his position. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)

“All very entertaining but not true. We wish all the best for both candidates in the Real Madrid elections.”

Shortly afterwards, reports emerged claiming that Manchester City were exploring potential legal action over the use of Haaland’s image and name as part of an election campaign.

Riquelme’s response

Faced with mounting criticism, Riquelme chose to defend his position rather than retreat from it. Responding to the situation, he said,

“It’s part of the game. It also happened with Figo. We have to keep talking, with maximum respect for City. The player has a clause, and this Wednesday we already sent a private message to City.

“I know perfectly well that if I am president, these 2 players (Rodri and Haaland) will play for Real Madrid.”

Haaland’s camp has denied links with Riquelme. (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun/Getty Images)

Explaining why he remains so confident, Riquelme stated, “I’m not going to risk my professional and personal reputation, and my reputation as a socio, at 37 years old, with the guarantee I’ve provided that I’ll pay the membership fees of all 100,000 socios, for no reason.

“It’s clear that I’m going to make sure that both Erling Haaland and Rodri will play for Real Madrid.”

The candidate concluded by revealing details regarding Rodri’s situation, explaining,

“We spoke with Pablo (Barquero), Rodri’s agent. I know perfectly well that we then have to talk to City, I said that yesterday. 

“Rodri’s circumstances are different from Haaland’s, but we have to talk to City. We have the utmost respect for the club. And from there, we’ll work on that.”

Source: AS