Enrique Riquelme: “Meritocracy has to come to Real Madrid”

The CEO of Cox Energy and candidate for the presidency of Real Madrid, Enrique Riquelme, stated this Thursday that “meritocracy has to come” to the club and that “the member has realized that after 20 years people fall asleep”, alluding to the first Merengue consultation at the polls after two decades with the strong leadership of Florentino Pérez.

“The member has to be clear that meritocracy has to come to Real Madrid. Since the Super League was not meritocratic. Listen, I understand that you want to see yourself that way and I’m going to merit too, I also understand certain battles of President Pérez; and it’s not to put a cap on him, it’s that I also really think about it. It’s that Real Madrid, if it is the club that generates the most, if it is the one that produces the most television rights and all that, it has to be the one that earns the most,” he analyzed in ‘Tablero Sports’.

“The partner has realized that after 20 years people fall asleep and think that it is normal; and the normal thing is to vote, the normal thing is to compete between candidates with proposals that I would have liked to debate, which is not being possible, instead of entering into a smear campaign,” he said.

“I would have liked a campaign, against a great Florentino Pérez, where I could debate the proposals, each one of his own, and then let the member decide. But yes, in the end I believe that the member is seeing that there are other proposals, that the club belongs to the true member and that there are other options, and that then on the 7th he can vote what he wants,” he repeated.

“If today the member is separated from everything and there is no democracy or transparency and there are no accounts that are rendered, then if you privatize and sell the club, even a little or a lot, the statutes are changed; and if the statutes are changed, governance and democracy within the club are over. And that is why when Florentino Pérez in that famous press conference he had, perhaps not the most successful and where he invited me to run for election, it was obviously obvious because I had been preparing a candidacy for the 2028 or 2029,” he recalled.

“We saw, because here in Madrid the circle is small, that he is preparing a privatization, the sale of the club. This week he has clearly said in a media outlet that he is clear that when he wins the elections, if he wins them, he will call an assembly of delegates, and we all know how it works and a referendum directly,” Riquelme warned.

“That is my main reason why I ran. There it was no longer out of illusion, but out of moral and ethical obligation to take a step forward because as a Real Madrid fan and as a partner I cannot allow it, I have to take the step forward. There other partners joined my candidacy and of course we met the requirements in record time for endorsement and also a candidacy that was not simply to stop them and have a legitimate voice to speak later against privatization or anything like that,” he clarified.

“A decision is not made at Real Madrid without Anas Laghrari, who does not have a permanent position and is also billed. Why is Anas Laghrari always hired for all operations? What does Anas Laghrari have to do with it, why was he behind the Super League? I believe that this is a very clear conflict of interest,” Riquelme criticized the businessman who provided a financial lever for FC Barcelona a few years ago.

Then he was asked if he will serve Real Madrid or Real Madrid, in reference to the accusation made by Pérez towards him. “The thief believes that everyone is of his condition and these are words that I really refer to the facts. He clearly announces in his meetings with great pride that since he has been president of Real Madrid he has multiplied his assets and that of his company by 54,” he argued.

“Not even Warren Buffett, who is the main investor in the world. It must have something to do with it, so I come with my homework done. I come to Real Madrid with my assets made up. And in order to run I have had to put up a guarantee and a personal bank guarantee of almost 200 million euros, guaranteeing it with almost 700. That is, things that in these elections the candidate Pérez has not had to put up a guarantee,” he noted.

Then he spoke about the promised signings of Erling Haaland and Rodri Hernández, both Manchester City players. “These are situations where we have clearly spoken with people close to us, in the case of Rodri with Pablo Barquero, who is his agent. Rodri’s case is clear, he has one more year on his contract and once he becomes president I will speak with City. But there is a clear commitment on my part to bring Rodri to play for Real Madrid. I have it very clear: if I am president, I will make Rodri play for Real Madrid, I will make it possible and it has been my commitment and it is my promise to the partner and that is why I put a guarantee,” he added.

Meanwhile, he appreciated City’s denial about Haaland: “All this is a normal part of football and players who are on another team. I respect City a lot and of course once I become president I will sit down and talk to City to try to bring these players.”

Regarding the Norwegian forward’s exit clause, Riquelme was asked if it is payable. “Of course. If not, we would not be talking about this because Real Madrid is not in the same condition as Barça at the time with the aid from Anas Laghrari in its rescue. But clearly it is not buoyant and at Real Madrid we have to change and make important decisions,” he responded.

“We have to save between 120 and 140 million euros per year, which we have fully identified where, it is absurd to have these expenses in the budgets. 45% of Real Madrid’s budget goes to sports, but the other part goes to corporate. It’s outrageous, the normal thing for an elite club at the top European level is 80-20. In recent years, Real Madrid’s corporate machinery has been fattened practically by three. There are many expenses that I believe the current management group will have a hard time making decisions to cut in certain areas,” he warned.

“The coach is on another team… What I can say is that we are working to be able to say it. I personally have not sat down with any coach to date, so that it is clear. It is the sports team that is leading, obviously with very clear alignments between us and we are working to be able to announce it as soon as possible. The coach who comes is not a coach who is going to do experiments, he is a totally proven coach who is used to competing in both top-level leagues and the Champions,” he said.

He later said that Vinícus Jr. “is a great, great player” and that he would “love to have” on his team. “I think he has one more year left on his contract, from what I have read in the press. I would say that we have to see, the sports team has to make the decisions. As president, in this case as a candidate, I would love to have the best players in the world in Real Madrid and he is one of the best,” he insisted.

“Real Madrid, in whatever it competes, has to lead. Whatever happens, it has to be or try to be number 1. Therefore, in the women’s football part we clearly have to support. It is an issue in addition to responsibility, it has to go further and we have to be the first and they can’t score six against us,” he alluded to some of Barça’s conceded defeat.

“We must understand well why it is not renewed, why we do not make a more competitive team and put a budget in it to be able to compete. We have also clearly said that we are going to strengthen the area of ​​women’s football and the facilities,” Riquelme concluded his interview with RNE.