Enrique Riquelme ‘to present’ Real Madrid bid as Florentino could face first rival since 2000 | OneFootball

Enrique Riquelme, chief executive of Cox and a long-standing Real Madrid member, is preparing a run for the presidency that could hand Florentino his first election rival since 2000. He weighed entering in 2021 but stood down, and despite the swift call he now intends to proceed.

El Confidencial reports that Cox co-shareholders Alberto Zardoya and Dámaso Quintana are willing to release him in part to stand and have authorised the move. It adds he has just closed a €3.5 billion purchase of Iberdrola assets in Mexico, backed by major international banks including Citi and Goldman Sachs.

EL PERIÓDICO writes that Riquelme has for months been negotiating the €187 million guarantees required to run, equivalent to 15% of the club budget. Cox is valued above €1 billion and he owns 65%.

The Alicante-born businessman is close to Rafa Nadal, with Cox sponsoring Team Rafa in the UIM E1 World Championship. Former Real Madrid players and influential Madridistas have encouraged him to stand.

One prominent name linked to his slate is David Mesonero, son-in-law of Iberdrola president Ignacio Sánchez Galán, a principal adversary of Florentino. Mesonero, Iberdrola’s corporate development chief, advanced a succession debate in January after the sacking of Xabi Alonso that led to the snap election call, and since then he and Riquelme have worked on a board that would allow an alternative candidacy within 10 days.

Source: Superdeporte