🎙️ Florentino Pérez: I won't debate Enrique Riquelme | OneFootball

After presenting the extension of his project at the helm of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez continued his campaign today by repeating attacks on his opponent at the polls: businessman Enrique Riquelme.

The club’s acting president gave an interview on TVE to offer his view on topics as varied as the new coach, the role of Anas Laghrari, Riquelme’s financial guarantee, and Vinicius’ renewal.

Head-on against Riquelme and Negreira

Pérez admits he called elections because “I was detecting a movement in the shadows with the intention of destabilizing the club”

The president has linked Riquelme’s candidacy with an old adversary. “They are the same people from Ramón Calderón, the darkest period in the club’s history,” he maintains.

 “I love Real Madrid very much. And if I think they’re coming after it, here I am,” he explained about the early election call.

Cox’s loan

📸 Angel Martinez - 2026 Getty Images

Although Bloomberg has corrected the report they published about Riquelme’s business activity, Florentino attacked him anyway. “They say he has asked for a loan at 54% annual interest... How can someone ask for that? I’m saying what Bloomberg says, I’m not making anything up.”

“It gives the impression that he has come because he needs the club for his company,” he explains.

Florentino Pérez rejected Enrique Riquelme’s offer to hold a face-to-face debate during the election period and defended himself against accusations that he wants to privatize Madrid.  

“That’s what the bad guys say. LaLiga wanted to take revenue away from us to distribute it among everyone, something unheard of that we managed to stop. The only way to protect our assets is for the club’s value to pass to the members,” he explained.

Who is Anas Laghrari?

“They say he wants to be president, when he isn’t even old enough to be president. He simply helps us. He knows just enough about football, but he helps us in the world of technology.”

New manager and renewals

On the possibility of signing José Mourinho again, he acknowledged that “he is a good coach” but also that he had not spoken to him yet. “I’m not going to announce it,” he said.

📸 FILIPE AMORIM - AFP or licensors

“I want him to stay, he is one of the best in the world,” he explained regarding Vinicius Jr.’s contract renewal.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.

📸 Denis Doyle - 2026 Getty Images