Raul named as sporting director by Riquelme ahead of Real Madrid vote
Synopsis
Real Madrid's first contested presidential election since 2006 just got sharper: challenger Enrique Riquelme has named club icon Raul Gonzalez Blanco as his sporting director, directly contrasting with Florentino Perez's 16-year refusal to appoint one — and setting up a structural battle over how the world's biggest club is run.
Key Takeaways
Enrique Riquelme announced on 2 June that Raul Gonzalez Blanco would become Real Madrid's director of sport if he wins Sunday's presidential election.
Raul , 48 , scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for Real Madrid and most recently managed reserve side Real Madrid Castilla until 2025 .
Incumbent Florentino Perez , 79 , has not appointed a sporting director since returning to power in 2009 .
Reports in Spain link Jose Mourinho — the coach who ended Raul's playing career at the club in 2010 — with a return under Perez.
Sunday's vote is the club's first contested presidential election since 2006 ; Perez was elected uncontested five times between 2009 and 2025 .
Real Madrid presidential challenger Enrique Riquelme announced on Tuesday, 2 June that club legend Raul Gonzalez Blanco would serve as director of sport if he defeats incumbent Florentino Perez in Sunday's election — the club's first contested presidential vote since 2006.
Riquelme's Sporting Vision
'If I win the election, Raul Gonzalez Blanco will be Real Madrid's director of sport,' Riquelme said in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena COPE on Tuesday morning. He added that he had 'explained the project' to Raul and that 'the more I know him, the more certain I am that he will always look out for Real Madrid.'
Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy entrepreneur, also pledged to reveal his preferred coach and future transfer targets in the days ahead, signalling a more transparent campaign strategy than his opponent.
Who Is Raul — and Why the Appointment Matters
Raul Gonzalez Blanco, 48, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Real Madrid's history, having scored 323 goals in 741 appearances for the club. He most recently managed reserve side Real Madrid Castilla before departing in the summer of 2025, after being passed over for the first-team coaching role — a position that ultimately went to Xabi Alonso.
The appointment proposal carries symbolic weight: Raul's playing career at the club was effectively ended by Jose Mourinho in 2010 — the same Mourinho who, according to reports in Spain, is being heavily linked with a return as coach should Perez retain the presidency.
Perez's Record and Silence
Florentino Perez, 79, has not appointed a sporting director since returning to power in 2009. He has yet to publicly name any figures linked to his campaign beyond the circulating reports about Mourinho. Perez has been elected uncontested in 2009, 2013, 2017, 2021, and 2025, making Sunday's vote a rare moment of genuine democratic contest at the club.
What Sunday's Election Means
Club members will cast ballots on Sunday to choose between Perez and Riquelme in the first contested Real Madrid presidential election in nearly two decades. The outcome will shape not just the club's transfer strategy but its entire sporting infrastructure — from coaching appointments to youth development.
With Riquelme putting concrete names to his project and Perez relying on incumbency, Sunday's vote is shaping up as a contest between institutional continuity and a new structural model for one of world football's most powerful clubs.
Point of View
And Riquelme is making it the centrepiece of his campaign. The Mourinho subtext is pointed: the man who pushed Raul out in 2010 may return under Perez, while Raul himself would hold the keys under Riquelme. Whether club members respond to sentiment over incumbency will define Sunday's result — and potentially Real Madrid's next decade.
NationPress
12 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has Enrique Riquelme named as Real Madrid's sporting director?
Riquelme has announced that club legend Raul Gonzalez Blanco would serve as Real Madrid's director of sport if he wins Sunday's presidential election. He made the announcement in an interview with Spanish radio station Cadena COPE on 2 June.
When is the Real Madrid presidential election?
The election is scheduled for Sunday, making it the club's first contested presidential vote since 2006. Club members will choose between incumbent Florentino Perez and challenger Enrique Riquelme.
Why did Raul leave Real Madrid Castilla?
Raul departed as coach of Real Madrid Castilla in the summer of 2025 after being overlooked for the senior first-team coaching role, which was instead given to Xabi Alonso.
Has Real Madrid had a sporting director under Florentino Perez?
No. Perez has not appointed a sporting director since returning to the presidency in 2009, a structural choice that Riquelme has made central to his campaign.
What is Jose Mourinho's reported role in the election?
Reports in Spain have heavily linked Mourinho with a return as Real Madrid's head coach if Perez retains the presidency, though no official announcement has been made. Notably, Mourinho was the coach who ended Raul's playing career at the club in 2010.
