Real Madrid members will descend on the club\u2019s Basketball Pavilion on Sunday to cast their votes in the 2026 presidential elections.<\/p>\n
Current president Florentino P\u00e9rez called a snap election towards the end of what was a disappointing campaign on the pitch for Madrid<\/a>, vowing to steer the ship in the right direction if re-elected.<\/p>\n His competition has come from businessman Enrique Riquelme, who has promised drastic changes to the regime to take Madrid back to the top of the European mountain.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s everything you need to know about election day.<\/p>\n The final vote of the presidential elections will be cast at 2:00 p.m ET (8:00 p.m CEST), after which all the votes will be counted.<\/p>\n That process is expected to take around two hours, with the results and the winner of the elections set to be announced somewhere between 4:00 p.m and 5:00 p.m ET (10:00 p.m and 11:00 p,m CEST). <\/p>\n Central to Riquelme\u2019s campaign<\/a> has been the promise of blockbuster arrivals. Manchester City striker Erling Haaland<\/a> is his top target and the 37-year-old has gone as far as to pledge to pay the fees of every Real Madrid member if he is unsuccessful.<\/p>\n Similarly, former Liverpool<\/a> manager J\u00fcrgen Klopp is the dream target to replace \u00c1lvaro Arbeloa in the dugout. Representatives of both Klopp and Haaland have openly laughed off the speculation, but Riquelme refused to back down in his final public plea.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not going to risk my professional reputation, neither in sports nor in business, at 37 years old,\u201d he began. <\/p>\n \u201cI have made a serious candidacy, I have made a commitment, and I continue to maintain that if I am elected president of Real Madrid, the players I have named will play for Real Madrid this summer. Just like yesterday, with a brief but detailed press release in both Spanish and English, to avoid any doubt, we stated only that our coach, after Ra\u00fal\u2019s arrival, is J\u00fcrgen Klopp. <\/p>\n \u201cWe would like to convince him starting next Monday. And I am almost certain that we will succeed, that J\u00fcrgen Klopp will be the next Real Madrid coach next season. It will be the work of the sporting team and, just as I have stated unequivocally regarding the players, I can say that we will do everything possible, as he is currently our only candidate, to ensure that J\u00fcrgen Klopp becomes the next Real Madrid coach. <\/p>\n \u201cAnd he will be a coach who wants to work in a professional, serious team where he truly has authority. Something that, today … cannot be allowed, with a Real Madrid president interfering in dressing room decisions. That\u2019s probably why J\u00fcrgen Klopp hasn\u2019t wanted to coach Real Madrid until now.\u201d<\/p>\n P\u00e9rez, meanwhile, had no time for Riquelme\u2019s promises, highlighting the fact that both Haaland and Klopp, the two pillars of his campaign, have already publicly shot the idea down.<\/p>\n The current president has already secured a deal for Jos\u00e9 Mourinho as the next manager<\/a>, with Ibrahima Konat\u00e9 and Denzel Dumfries two confirmed transfers and a $174 million (\u20ac150 million) club-record bid soon to be submitted for a player now widely believed to be Bayern Munich\u2019s Michael Olise<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBeing a Real Madrid member is a way of life,\u201d P\u00e9rez reflected. \u201cAnd also a great responsibility, because Real Madrid needs us. I encourage you to vote because our future is at stake. The members know there are two ways of doing things. Real Madrid members will not tolerate lies; anything goes is not acceptable.<\/p>\n \u201cWe, the members, will not allow the image of Real Madrid to be damaged. There are those who have no scruples and use the Real Madrid jersey to shame the members.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have had to endure the disgrace of a hoax being spread on a television show to deceive the members. And then, minutes later, the father of a player… the agent and the club itself, which was Manchester United\u2014City, sorry\u2014vehemently deny it and threaten legal action. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is something that surely doesn’t embarrass them at all. But for all the members of Real Madrid, and for me in particular, it is deeply shameful.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this ridiculous situation seems to have no end. Last night they floated the name of a coach, saying they were going to talk to him … and he responded within minutes, telling them not to bother. But didn\u2019t they already have a coach, currently active, signed at the start of the season? Seriously … these people will do anything. <\/p>\n \u201cDo these people really want to manage Real Madrid? Look, the Real Madrid shirt isn\u2019t tarnished by lies. The symbols of Real Madrid aren\u2019t defiled and don\u2019t deserve to be disrespected by someone who wants to be president of Real Madrid. We had enough with [Ram\u00f3n] Calder\u00f3n’s dark three-year period; we don\u2019t need to see the same lies and the same disgrace again.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nReal Madrid Elections Closing Time<\/h2>\n
\nEnrique Riquelme Clings to Haaland, Klopp Dreams<\/h2>\n
\nP\u00e9rez Laughs Off \u2018Ridiculous\u2019 Competition<\/h2>\n
\nREAD THE LATEST REAL MADRID NEWS, ANALYSIS AND INSIGHT FROM SI FC<\/h3>\n
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