Real Madrid have officially triggered their presidential election process, giving potential candidates until May 23 to formally register their bids for the top job at the Bernabéu.
The club’s electoral commission confirmed that the window for submitting candidacies opens immediately and will run through May 23, marking the start of what could be a tense race for control of one of world football’s most powerful institutions. President Florentino Pérez, who has led Real Madrid through multiple trophy-laden eras, has called the elections early and is expected to stand again, inviting challengers after a period marked by criticism and heightened scrutiny.
Under Real Madrid’s strict statutes, anyone seeking to contest the presidency must have been a club member for at least 20 years and be able to personally guarantee around 15 percent of the club’s annual budget, a figure reported at close to 187–189 million euros. If more than one candidate is validated by the electoral board, members will be called to vote on a date that is yet to be announced; if Pérez runs unopposed once again, he will automatically remain in charge, as has happened in previous election cycles.
