Real Madrid officially begin presidential election process following Perez call

[p]There is a 10-day window, until May 23rd, for the submission of candidacies, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/real-madrid/W8mj7MDD/"]Madrid[/a] said in a statement.[/p][p]Among the requirements to be a candidate are having been a club member for 20 years and providing a guarantee of 187 million euros, equivalent to 15 per cent of the club's annual budget, which must be backed by personal assets.[/p][p][b]Perez, who was re-elected unopposed in January 2025 for a four-year term, announced at a press conference on Tuesday that he will run again.[/b][/p][p]Spanish media reports Enrique Riquelme, the president of the water and energy group Cox, is considering entering the race.[/p][p]In a letter published by several outlets in Spain, the renewable energy businessman asked Perez for more time to potentially prepare a candidacy.[/p][p][b]"When I ran in the 2000 elections, I didn’t ask for more time; I ran, and I won,"[/b] said Perez in an interview on television channel La Sexta on Wednesday.[/p][embed guid="7ec58ab7-4961-4c11-8028-50e8689750b9" url="https://x.com/realmadriden/status/2054842149515268129" social-type="twitter" /][p]If multiple candidates stand, the electoral board will announce the date and place of the elections in due course.[/p][p]If no one else comes forward, Perez, 79, would retain his post, as happened in the 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025 elections.[/p][p]The Spanish businessman was first elected as Madrid president in 2000, overseeing the club's Galactico era, and resigned in 2006.[/p][p]Since Perez returned in 2009, Madrid have won five Spanish league titles and a remarkable six European cups, among other silverware.[/p]