Enrique Riquelme: “Real Madrid are in a very serious financial crisis” | OneFootball

Ahead of Sunday’s Real Madrid presidential election, Enrique Riquelme has spoken at his closing candidacy ceremony. The 37-year-old, who is hoping to end Florentino Perez’s 17-year reign to an end, close to discuss the club’s finances during the event.

As per Diario AS, Riquelme claimed that under Perez’s supervision, Real Madrid has fallen into a financial crisis. He hopes to be the one to guide them out of it, should he be elected by the club’s members during Sunday’s vote.

“Real Madrid is in a very serious financial crisis. I have tried to make a clean campaign; but we must demand transparency and accountability. There is no greater democratic fraud than taking members to the polls without them knowing the real situation of their club.

“Real Madrid is in a very serious financial crisis. Today we know, and not because of the club’s transparent information, but because of this journalism, that Real Madrid has wiped out more than €770m of liquidity in a very short time. That the cash flow has been reduced by 99%. That the treasury has fallen to just a few million.

“We also know that the debt linked to the remodelling of the Bernabeu and other financial operations has reached unprecedented levels, to the point that some analyses warn of a real risk to future economic viability if it is not corrected soon. We now understand the need and urgency to sell: Real Madrid is in a serious financial crisis.”

Riquelme unfazed by response to Klopp admission

Image via Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Earlier in the week, Riquelme proclaimed that he would target Jurgen Klopp as his primary managerial candidate if he were to be elected. The former Liverpool manager’s agent bit back at this within hours of the statement being made, although the presidential candidate is unfazed by this.

“As I have been saying these days: since Raúl’s arrival, we have worked in a single direction, with a very specific coach. And the one chosen by Raúl and the technical team is Jurgen Klopp. The note clearly says that Jurgen Klopp, a great coach who is now in a great sporting project, has no intention of coaching any club. But we have made it clear, to Real Madrid and to the membership, that if I am president of Real Madrid, from Monday on… Mr. Raúl González Blanco will try to bring Jurgen Klopp to Real Madrid. He’s our only coach at the moment. And he is the one we want to convince to provide the club with a situation of stability.”