Florentino Pérez will officially announce his candidacy for the Real Madrid presidency tomorrow, with a campaign built on institutional stability, the return of José Mourinho, and a strategic retreat from the blockbuster signing policy that once defined his tenure.
According to Marca, the 79-year-old president will seek to extend his second spell at the helm—which began in 2009—by emphasizing the 66 trophies accumulated across football and basketball during his leadership . The announcement comes less than 18 months after his last uncontested victory, though this election cycle is shaping up to be the club’s first contested race since 2006 .
Mourinho’s Second Coming
The most significant sporting headline from the campaign launch will be the confirmation of José Mourinho as the club’s next head coach. The Portuguese tactician, who managed Real Madrid between 2010 and 2013, is expected to sign a contract running through 2028 .
Reports indicate that a verbal agreement has been in place for weeks, though formal confirmation was delayed due to the timing of the presidential elections . Mourinho, who has been managing Benfica, will return to the Santiago Bernabéu with a mandate to restore a winning mentality after two consecutive trophyless seasons .
The 63-year-old’s appointment represents a full-circle moment. During his first spell, he reached three consecutive Champions League semi-finals but never captured the European crown. His return is framed internally as an opportunity to “finish the job left unfinished” .
A New Transfer Philosophy
Departing from the “Galácticos” model that brought Luis Figo, Zinedine Zidane, and David Beckham to Madrid, Pérez will notably announce no major signings this summer .
Instead, the campaign will present Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham as the untouchable core of the team. The strategy signals a shift from acquisition to retention, with the club prioritizing contractual stability over headline-grabbing arrivals.
The Bernabéu as Economic Engine
Pérez will vigorously defend the controversial €1.7 billion renovation of the Santiago Bernabéu, presenting it not as a financial burden but as the club’s future economic backbone. Financial statements released in March revealed the club’s net bank position shifted from a positive €213 million to a negative €312 million over three years, largely due to stadium investment .
However, Pérez is expected to argue that the renovated venue—described in his campaign video as “the most advanced stadium on the planet”—will generate sustainable revenue streams that secure the club’s financial independence for decades . Matchday and stadium revenue has already stabilized at approximately €43 million following the initial post-reopening surge .
Ownership Model Evolution
In a significant institutional shift, Pérez will propose a statutory reform allowing external investors to acquire a minority stake in the club—capped at 10 percent .
The president will emphasize that this does not signal privatization. The 100,000 club members, or socios, will retain absolute control through a subsidiary structure. Pérez has described potential investors as “strategic allies and never owners,” bound to respect the club’s values and subject to a buy-back clause favoring Real Madrid .
The reform, which requires member approval in a referendum, is presented as a defensive measure to “shield the club from external attacks” and properly value the institution .
European Leadership and the UEFA Peace
Perhaps the most striking evolution in Pérez’s platform concerns the European Super League. After years of confrontation, the president will now claim victory through negotiation rather than revolution.
In February 2026, Real Madrid reached a peace agreement with UEFA and the European Clubs Association (ECA), formally withdrawing from the Super League project . The truce followed a summit between Pérez, UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin, and ECA president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi.
Pérez is expected to frame this as a triumph on his own terms. During negotiations, Real Madrid successfully pushed for discussions on financial fair play reforms and limits on “state-backed clubs”—issues that were peripheral before the Super League dispute forced them onto the agenda . Al-Khelaïfi has publicly stated that anyone believing Pérez “lost” the Super League battle knows “absolutely nothing about football” .
However, Pérez has not abandoned the Super League concept entirely. At the club’s general assembly, he reiterated that the project remains “indispensable” to counter the financial dominance of English football, while acknowledging that the original closed-format model has been discarded . The club is also pursuing financial claims against UEFA for damages incurred during the dispute .
Campaign Context
The election arrives at a turbulent moment. Real Madrid have failed to win a major trophy for two consecutive seasons, and Pérez called an urgent press conference earlier this month to announce the snap election, which he attributed to a media “campaign” against him .
“Results haven’t been the best, but in sports, you don’t always win,” Pérez said at the time, while issuing a pointed challenge: “I want to speak to those behind this campaign, those who operate in the shadows. Let them run in the elections; now they have the opportunity” .
He may face a genuine challenger. Businessman Enrique Riquelme has emerged as a potential candidate, and Pérez’s decision to accelerate the electoral calendar is seen by some analysts as an attempt to preempt opposition momentum .
In an inauspicious start to his digital campaign, Pérez’s newly created X account was suspended within an hour of its launch due to image rights issues.
