Florentino Perez has been re-elected Real Madrid president following an electoral victory over challenger Enrique Riquelme.It was the first time Madrid’s members had voted for the club president in 20 years, with the incumbent Perez elected unopposed in each of Madrid’s previous five electoral cycles, held in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021 and 2025.The 79-year-old held a rare and remarkable press conference on May 12, in which he took aim at perceived enemies “in the shadows”, saying there was a campaign to remove him from the position and announced an election — despite having an active mandate until 2029.Perez was seeking a show of support after the club’s second consecutive season without a major trophy.Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, emerged as the sole challenger to Perez’s position in an election in which around 100,000 Madrid club members were eligible to cast their ballot.Perez is the longest-serving president in Madrid’s history and is in his second spell in the post (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)Perez is the longest-serving president in Madrid’s history, having first held the position between 2000 and 2006, when he was replaced by Ramon Calderon. Perez, who is also the chairman and CEO of civil engineering company ACS Group, was subsequently re-elected in 2009 following Calderon’s resignation, and has held the position ever since.The polls had opened up at 9am local time, with Perez voting just before 10am, and Riquelme turning up to cast his vote almost an hour later. Voting closed at 8pm.Riquelme cast his vote on Sunday morning (Denis Doyle/Getty Images)“After 20 years, people can vote,” Riquelme said in a speech to journalists after casting his vote.“We ran our campaign to stop the sale of the club. If we hadn’t taken this step, the club would have been up for sale. This isn’t a normal election; it’s a referendum. If the members don’t vote, these would be the last elections for Real Madrid as we know it.”Perez did not comment to the media during the voting process. But after his victory he said: “We have won across all the tables. We have achieved the second-best result in Real Madrid’s history. It is an extraordinary result, and it could have been even better because 1,000 postal votes were invalidated, but we will appeal that decision.“We have shown that we are both a democracy and a great family. It has been a remarkable election day. We will continue working hard, and we are proud that one of the best managers in the world, Jose Mourinho, is returning. Make no mistake: under my leadership, Real Madrid has always belonged, belongs, and will always belong to its members. You have demonstrated what Madridismo is — the spirit that unites millions of people around the world, including the Pope.”Madrid are one of four clubs in Spain which are still member-owned, alongside Barcelona, Athletic Club and Osasuna.