Enrique Riquelme appeared before the media on Monday morning at his campaign headquarters near the Santiago Bernabéu after officially becoming a candidate for the Real Madrid presidency.

The businessman immediately launched criticism toward Florentino Pérez’s management, questioning both the Bernabéu renovation and the current relationship between the club and its members.

“Yesterday we were officially informed that we are candidates for the presidency of Real Madrid. I think this is very important and democratic for Real Madrid fans. There's an opportunity to debate between two projects and vote 20 years later. This is about legacy and future. Legacy because we want it to be the foundation of Real Madrid's future, but not just the legacy of the seven European Cups displayed on a banner. There are eight more that are part of Real Madrid's legacy. And the future has to be based on the members, who are one of Real Madrid's great forgotten groups. What are the benefits of being a Real Madrid member? Aside from a great privilege and an honor, of course, there's a 15% discount on shirts, and those with a season ticket are privileged. And after that, what is there?”

Riquelme also strongly criticized the Santiago Bernabéu renovation project.

“The seats are closer together than ever after the €1.7 billion renovation, and they're smaller. There's not even a bar or proper restrooms; you have to leave ten minutes before halftime to buy a drink and a sandwich. Is that what you call a €1.7 billion renovation? In this first stage of the campaign, our priority is listening to the members, but I can already tell you that this Wednesday we're going to call a meeting to announce the biggest transformation project for Real Madrid members. By far, the biggest project for members, and we hope they'll be proud. We know there's a large part of it focused on the sporting side, and we've already said it's significant. We have it, so don't ask me to go into all the details now. We'll reveal them as we go along.”

The presidential candidate also referred to the Spain national team and Real Madrid’s current representation within the squad.

“Furthermore, I hope that these next two weeks will allow you to report on what we're doing. The national team list is released, and we can see that, at most, one Real Madrid player will be called up, while our main rivals will fill that list. If the members elect us, we're going to try to change that and bring back great Real Madrid stars to the national team so they can feel proud.”

Riquelme concluded by publicly requesting a direct debate with Florentino Pérez during the campaign.

“The president, in his press conference, was looking for projects and guarantees, the largest ever offered in history, and he was asking for a debate. All the necessary steps have been taken, and what we're asking for now is that debate. We want it to be conducted in a healthy manner; we're not against anyone, and we hope to debate what's best for Real Madrid. I look forward to hearing from you on this matter.”

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