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Real Madrid presidential candidates must meet strict financial and membership requirements, including a €187 million guarantee based entirely on personal wealth.
Florentino Perez has officially confirmed he will once again run for president of Real Madrid, but the structure of the club’s election system means very few people realistically have any chance of challenging him.
During his extraordinary press conference, Perez made it clear he has no plans to step down.
“I have to tell you, unfortunately, that I will not resign,” Perez said.
“I have asked the electoral commission to start the presidential election process, in which our board of directors will also run.”
However, becoming president of Real Madrid is unlike running for leadership at almost any other football club in the world.
The conditions imposed by the club’s statutes are so strict that only a tiny number of people can even qualify as candidates.
To begin with, any presidential candidate must have been an official member of Real Madrid continuously for at least 20 years.
Candidates must also be Spanish citizens, legally eligible, free of disciplinary sanctions, and unable to hold positions in other football clubs.
But the biggest obstacle is financial.
Under Real Madrid’s rules, every candidacy must provide a financial guarantee equal to at least 15 percent of the club’s annual budget.
Because Real Madrid currently operate with an annual budget of approximately €1.28 billion, that means any presidential candidate must present guarantees worth around €187 million.
Importantly, the guarantee cannot rely on club assets or external support.
The money must be backed entirely by the personal wealth of the candidates involved in the election list.
The rules have become even stricter in recent years.
Previously, candidates were allowed to formalize financial guarantees after elections had concluded.
Now, the guarantees must already be fully secured before the candidacy is officially accepted.
Banks are also required to confirm that the guarantees are based exclusively on the personal assets of the candidates themselves.
In addition, each presidential project must include at least nine board members alongside the presidential candidate.
All members of the proposed board must formally approve and sign the candidacy documentation.
According to Spanish media estimates, simply arranging the bank guarantee can reportedly cost around €2 million.
The election process itself is also extremely short.
After elections are announced, candidates reportedly have only ten days to formally submit all documentation.
The electoral commission then reviews every detail carefully, including the origins of financial assets and whether the funds belong personally to the candidates.
Critics have argued for years that the system heavily limits democratic competition and effectively protects the existing leadership structure.
As a result, Perez once again enters the election process as the overwhelming favorite because very few people in world football possess both the financial resources and the required decades-long connection to the club.