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Real Madrid presidential hopeful Enrique Riquelme appeared on a television show alongside a notarized legal document, pledging Erling Haaland as his marquee signing should he win the election. If he fails to keep his promise, he will personally cover full annual membership fees for all 100,000 Real Madrid club members out of his own pocket.
“I give my word that upon being elected president, no portion of the club will ever be sold; Real Madrid shall always belong to its socios. This commitment will be legally secured via notarization. Unlike Florentino Pérez, I have no previous presidential experience at the club. For this very reason, I have pledged to sign the two previously named players, Erling Haaland and Rodri, backed by a formal personal notarized guarantee. Should I fail to deliver on the signings, I will personally pay the complete membership dues for every single Real Madrid member. Erling Haaland has a release clause in his contract and is eager to make a move to Real Madrid.”
Riquelme will run against Florentino Pérez in the Real Madrid presidential election scheduled for Sunday, June 7. According to calculations from Spanish sports newspaper AS, Riquelme would be liable for roughly €12.3 million in personal expenditure if he cannot complete the signings of both Haaland and Rodri.
The exact payable amount is calculated based on the club’s latest official membership census, which records 98,272 registered members: 74,693 male members and 23,579 female members.
This electoral tactic is not unprecedented. Back in 2000, Florentino Pérez promised to sign Barcelona star Luis Figo and vowed to foot the cost of every member’s membership card fee if the transfer fell through. Pérez delivered on his pledge as Figo sealed a move to the Santiago Bernabéu, helping Pérez secure the presidential election victory.
Shortly afterwards, Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic quickly published updates, with Erling Haaland’s father Alf-Inge Haaland and his agent Rafaela Pimenta setting the record straight regarding Real Madrid transfer rumours: “These rumours make for an interesting read but hold no truth. We wish both candidates in the Real Madrid presidential election all the best.”
