History suggests Riquelme faces an uphill battle to unseat Florentino Perez in Real Madrid elections | OneFootball

Real Madrid are set for their first presidential election since 2006, one that has captured the attention of many within Spanish football, even delaying the appointment of Jose Mourinho.

After all, Florentino Perez has found himself a challenger after 20 years, in the form of Enrique Riquelme, a Spanish businessman looking to bring Real Madrid back to its roots.

However, history offers a sobering lesson for those backing the challenger.

No first-time candidate has ever won

Enrique Riquelme is looking to dethrone Perez. (Picture credit: Instagram/@enriqueriquelmev)

As reported by Diario AS, not a single candidate in Real Madrid’s modern electoral history has succeeded in unseating the incumbent president on their first attempt.

Ramon Mendoza challenged the establishment in 1982 and lost, only winning the presidency three years later after the sitting president resigned.

Florentino Perez himself ran against Lorenzo Sanz in 1995 and fell short by fewer than 700 votes, before returning in 2000 with a more organised campaign and winning convincingly.

Even candidates who arrived with significant momentum, impressive signature tallies and ambitious projects found that the weight of the institutional establishment proved too much to overcome at the first time of asking.

Riquelme seen as playing a longer game

Enrique Riquelme might be playing the long game. (Photo courtesy: Instagram)

Most electoral analysts view Riquelme’s candidacy this time around as an exercise in positioning rather than a genuine attempt to win.

The goals, as the report suggests, are to test the waters, map the membership, and begin building a profile among Real Madrid’s more than 90,000 eligible voters ahead of a future attempt.

Florentino Perez, for his part, has not faced a rival since 2004, when he won by a landslide of 28,416 votes to 1,222.

The elections are scheduled for June 7th. History says Perez will win. Whether Riquelme can defy it remains to be seen.