Beyond the pitch, the election has also touched on the fundamental structure of the club. Riquelme has been vocal in his opposition to Perez’s proposal to sell five per cent of the club to an external investor, arguing that it threatens the traditional member-owned model. Perez, however, insists that the plan is designed to benefit the fans by turning “emotional wealth” into something tangible that can be passed down through generations.
“With me, Madrid will always belong to its members,” Perez insisted. “I want the members to be the owners of (the club’s) financial wealth. At the moment we’re just owners of an emotional wealth. I want to strengthen that link, and for it to go beyond death, so that the financial wealth can be inherited by your children or your family. We’ll look at the way to do it, we’ll debate it and it will be voted on in a referendum of all members.”
