Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
Real Madrid presidential candidate Enrique Riquelme launched his campaign by promising to turn the club’s training ground into a hub for fans, with swimming pools, paddle courts and a basketball arena.
Renewables tycoon Riquelme is running against Florentino Perez in the first presidential election in 20 years as a challenger.
Perez announced the election earlier this month during an extraordinary press conference in which he criticized journalists and La Liga and spoke of an “organized campaign” against him.
The 79-year-old has been in office since 2009 – and was previously president between 2000 and 2006 – but has overseen two consecutive trophyless seasons.
On Wednesday Riquelme, 37, presented plans to transform Madrid’s Valdebebas training ground into ‘La Ciudad del Socio’ – The City of the Members.
The project will turn the area into a huge social hub for Madrid members, with a special hotel, swimming pool, a gym, tennis and paddle courts, basketball courts, football pitches and activities designed to bring supporters closer to a club he says has drifted away from them.
He promised to build a 15,000-capacity arena to host concerts and Real Madrid’s basketball team.
Riquelme did not say how much the new development would cost or how the club would pay for it.
He also promised to cut membership fees by 50% and make 10,000 season tickets available through a lottery to reduce the number of members who “have been on waiting lists for years”.
Riquelme accused Perez of “privatizing the club”, while his opponent proposed creating a subsidiary that would allow outside investors to buy a 5% stake in reals.
“In the 1950s, Real Madrid was a members’ club. The members felt they were part of something. They knew they were in charge. Between 2004 and 2026, Real Madrid lost its essence, and the members lost their club,” Riquelme said.
Perez’s proposal would require members to approve changes to the club’s bylaws at an extraordinary general meeting.
