Enrique Riquelme has launched his bid for the Real Madrid presidency, promising a radical overhaul of the club's infrastructure and a battle for its very soul, rather than quick fixes to a two-year trophy drought.The renewables tycoon, who is challenging Florentino Perez in the first contested Real Madrid presidential election in two decades, unveiled ambitious plans to transform the club's Valdebebas training ground into "La Ciudad del Socio" – The Members' City. This extensive project, Riquelme explained, would create a vast social hub for Madrid's members, featuring an exclusive hotel, swimming pools, a gym, tennis and padel courts, basketball courts, football pitches, and various activities designed to reconnect supporters with a club he believes has become distant.His vision also includes a new 15,000-capacity arena for Real Madrid's basketball team, which would double as a concert venue. However, Riquelme did not disclose the cost of this development or how the club would finance it.Further proposals include a 50 per cent reduction in membership fees and the introduction of a lottery system for 10,000 season tickets. This initiative aims to offer the club's more than 100,000 members a chance to secure season tickets via a draw, bypassing the "years in a waiting list" currently faced by many.Enrique Riquelme (pictured) will challenge Perez (Reuters)Riquelme's platform directly opposes a proposal raised by Perez last November to create a subsidiary that would allow outside investors to buy a stake of around 5% in the club, described as the world's most valuable football club. Riquelme stated he "vehemently rejects" this plan, accusing Perez of seeking to "privatise the club." Perez's proposal has not yet progressed and would require members to approve a change to the club's statutes at an extraordinary general meeting.Riquelme asserted: "In the 1950s, Real Madrid was a members' club. The members felt they were part of something. They knew they were the ones in charge. “Between 2004 and 2026, Real Madrid lost its essence, and the members lost their club." He added: "This is one of the main reasons why I decided to step forward."Riquelme revealed that his project has been years in development, stating: "Today is a very special day. There's no room for improvisation. We've been working on this project since 2021. “Real Madrid is a global club, but it belongs to its members. This is the foundation of our project."