Enrique Riquelme continues to leave the door open to running in the upcoming presidential elections at Real Madrid, with only a few days remaining before the deadline for submitting candidacies.

Speaking at the VII Expansión International Forum, the businessman from Alicante admitted that his group feels a “moral and ethical obligation” to step forward with what he described as “something meaningful” and “something inspiring” for the club’s future.

Riquelme began by showing respect toward Florentino Pérez while also suggesting that a new era may be necessary at the club.

“I have total respect for Real Madrid, for the institution, for Mr. Florentino Pérez, who has built the best Real Madrid team; we have all enjoyed the titles… but as with everything in life, there must be a change of cycle, a plan for the coming years,” Riquelme stated.

The businessman also explained that his project had originally been designed with the 2028 elections in mind and that the early electoral process forced his team to accelerate its plans.

“We didn't have a plan for today… we know these are the rules and that we have no right to complain. They gave us a few days and we've gotten ourselves into a mess that, for us… wasn't the right time,” he said.

Despite the limited time frame, Riquelme confirmed that work is ongoing behind the scenes to determine whether his group can formally launch a candidacy capable of challenging Florentino Pérez.

“We’re working to see if we can present something exciting. And if we don’t win, some of these ideas can be used to improve Real Madrid,” he added.

According to recent reports, Riquelme has already formalized his candidacy and requested two debates with the current president. He also hinted that several high-profile figures could be linked to his project, although he declined to reveal names.

“These could be the last elections, that's what many think, for Real Madrid because privatization is coming. And we believe that Real Madrid should continue to belong to its members. We have a very exciting and transformative project. I can't give names, because they play for other teams. But tomorrow I will submit the paperwork to the Board and on Saturday, I will decide,” Riquelme said.

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