Florentino Pérez has put Real Madrid's election fight in the same frame as Vinícius Júnior's future. He says the forward is “very close” to signing a new deal, while also insisting the club will not be privatised and will remain in the hands of its members.
How Pérez is selling continuity
The clearest part of the message is the contract line. Pérez said Vinicius is “very close to signing” and added that he would not force him into anything. He also said money will not be the most important factor.
That matters because the rest of the argument is about trust. Pérez is presenting himself as the person who can keep the club attractive to its biggest names and keep the structure intact at the same time. Vinicius is a useful example for that pitch. He has 36 La Liga appearances, 16 league goals and 5 assists this season, plus 14 Champions League appearances and a 7.32 rating in the competition.
Those are not the numbers of a player on the margins. They are the numbers of someone central to the project, which is why Pérez is so keen to tie a renewal to his own case for another term.
Why the ownership fight still dominates
The broader election row is not really about one signing. Pérez plans to sell around 5% of Real Madrid to a private investor and then hold a referendum on the ownership model if he wins the election. He says that 5% stake would not make decisions and that the 95% and the members would remain in charge.
Enrique Riquelme is pushing the opposite line. He says the referendum is on June 7 and has urged members to vote against privatisation at Valdebebas. He has also warned that privatisation is coming and argued that Real Madrid must remain 100% owned by its members.
Pérez’s response is blunt. He calls the proposals ruinous and says the opposition is lying. That is a fairly clear sign that this election is less about administration than control, even if the language around it is wrapped in legal and structural detail.
There is also a football reason Pérez is leaning so hard into certainty. He has said the Club World Cup killed Real Madrid’s season preparations and claimed the club had 28 injured first-team players after three or four months. The club’s season was described as trophyless and marked by internal turbulence, with Xabi Alonso dismissed after six months and Álvaro Arbeloa appointed. Against that backdrop, Pérez is selling stability as a selling point, not just a slogan.
If the renewal goes through and the referendum fight stays contained, his argument gets easier. If it stalls, the same comments will read very differently when the vote arrives. For now, the president has made clear what he wants the election to be about, and he has tied Vinicius to that case in public.
FAQ
Will Florentino Pérez's Real Madrid election pitch change the Vinicius Jr renewal?
Pérez is using the renewal as part of a broader election message. He says Vinicius is very close to signing, that he will not force him into anything, and that money will not be the most important factor. The same message sits alongside his defence of Real Madrid's member-owned model.
What does Florentino Pérez want to do with Real Madrid ownership if he wins the election?
Pérez plans to sell around 5% of Real Madrid to a private investor and then hold a referendum on the ownership model if he wins the election. He says that stake would not make decisions and that the 95% and the members would remain in charge.
Why are people talking about privatisation in the Real Madrid election?
Enrique Riquelme says the referendum is on June 7 and is urging members to vote against privatisation at Valdebebas. Pérez rejects that framing and insists Real Madrid will always belong to its members.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 5 outlets. How we work →
