9:21
You know, the politics of football in Spain. You've lived there and you know what it's all about. Um, is it arrogant for the Real Madrid president hopefuls to promise other club players if they are indeed elected? Let me just put a bit of meat on the bones to this. Um, there are two individuals that the what do you call them? The members of Real Madrid. The socios are going to be voting for. Members will vote between the current president Florentino Perez who is 79 years of age. Yep. And the other individual is 37-year-old Enrique Riquelme.
Okay. Now, Perez, he called this snap election last month despite having a mandate to 2029. Um, he has been Real Madrid president as we know for 23 of the past 26 years and has stood unopposed at the last four elections. Not this time though. In comes Enrique Riquelme who is opposing him as I said. Perez for his part has promised he'll appoint Jose Mourinho as manager if he's elected. He's done it already. Well, that's what he wants to do but he's got to get elected to make it official. Riquelme meantime for his part is saying no to Mourinho. He's promised to make Madrid legend Raul his sporting director and will not appoint Mourinho.
He says, "If I win the elections, I will bring to Real Madrid a superstar manager. The biggest manager you can imagine. Jose Mourinho is not that manager." He promised also, and this is where it gets interesting, to sign Manchester City midfielder Rodri as well as Erling Haaland and then held up a Madrid shirt with Haaland's name on the back of it. And one would think that Manchester City are none too happy about that. Is it arrogant in a presidential race like this for one of the hopefuls to promise something that he doesn't really know if he can deliver. Um It well, it's like any manifesto. We could talk about any manifesto that gets put forward and promises are made and very rarely upheld, are they? We've got a government currently doing that in
situ in this country. But as far as a football election is concerned, it's all part of the puff and stuff of getting people to potentially choose you, to subscribe to your viewpoint, whether you can deliver those things, as we have seen in many occasions, as I just referred to manifestos, they very rarely get delivered upon or they get pivoted off. Uh I Do I think it's arrogant? Yeah, it's a It causes an element of arrogance about it. There's an element of lack of football etiquette. But this mythical football etiquette really doesn't exist. It's all on the surface. Everyone's trying to do every one another down behind the scenes. But on the front of house, that's not the way to behave, right?
Uh So, yes, I think there's an element of arrogance about it. But why would one be surprised by that? Real Madrid are seeded in their deep-seated belief that the world is their oyster. the most valuable club and that everyone should pay attention to them. We've seen them in previous incarnations find their way around European restrictions by selling the training ground to the municipality for 100 million quid to qualify for the financial governance of the Champions League. They are the club of the king, aren't they? Yeah. So, with all those things in mind, it's not surprising that they've got this deep-seated belief. They won't go to tournaments cuz they get paid this. They won't send their players to the Ballon d'Or unless they win.
So, and they believe and unfortunately for us, tragically for us, more often than not it's been seeded in outcomes that have proved it to be right that the destination for all players seems to be to go through our big clubs and end up at Real Madrid. Well, that's right. Our best players or other people's best players that have landed it, whether it be Ronaldo or Hazard or Gareth Bale or going back to Laurie Cunningham in the day, they were the luster and lure of Real Madrid attracted them. Now, whether that's diplomatic or etiquette for Manchester City's players, well, who cares, really? I mean, it would only happen at Real Madrid, wouldn't it? Because they've got the chops to do it. And because they can back it up. And
because they are, uh, you know, they sign the biggest players in the world, don't they? Is that not what they do? Yeah, but you don't get many clubs in the world coming out publicly and saying, "You know your top player? We're going to sign him." But you don't get many clubs in the world that operate the way that Real Madrid do, which is have election around presidents that are actually so seeded in the fabric of society that they're really considered to be that valuable. Yeah. The presidency of Real Madrid is so intrinsically valuable to that person's position and standing that they have to have presidential elections. You don't have many clubs that are constituated or put together by a situation like the socios and funded
that way, in the same way that Barcelona have a similar sort of set of circumstances. And you look at it and say, "Well, they are unique." Like you said, "Lovitz, they are unique." And they have proven to be the case, whether it be Puskas or whether it be Gareth Bale, that the best players in the world, uh, or Jude Bellingham, as it is now, end up at Real Madrid. Whether it be the Beckham effect, the galacticos, the expression was coined in Spanish football and replicated by PSG. And only PSG have only just started to work as a football club after they've dispatched the idea of galacticos. So, uh, it's puffing stuff. Two guys are using it as part of their election campaigns to be able to convince the
people that vote that their way of going is the best way. Uh, now one guy saying, "I want Mourinho. Here's what I do. I've been in charge for 23 years. I understand what I'm doing with this football club, and we are best served under my direction." We've got a new young guy that's saying actually the polar opposite of it. And it's part of his pitch. People believe it. Whether they believe that he can deliver Erling Haaland. Do you believe in this conversation that Erling Haaland will end up at Real Madrid at some point in his career? Yes, probably. So, what are we saying then? So, sooner than later.
I believe so, too. Yeah. I believe so that despite the wonderful achievements of Manchester City, they are not the same as Real Madrid. Mhm. They might have the same capital base now, and perhaps even bigger. They might have the same achievements in recent years. In fact, Man City's might even be arguably bigger because of the dominance of English football. And Real Madrid haven't done that for a few years now. They haven't won a trophy for 2 years. Albeit Man City haven't won much in the last 2 years besides a league and FA Cup double, which isn't the same thing as winning the Premier League and the Champions League.
prove though that the lure of Real Madrid is like no other? We've got you constantly saying that Manchester United are up there, the biggest club there. No, it's this lot. Really it's this Real Madrid. Well, I wish it weren't, but it probably it is, yes. Yeah, I mean, you know Cuz only they would get away with this. Well, well, only they would think to do that because they're the only one of the few clubs in the world that are constructed the way that they are. And so, part of the campaign to elect a president to take the club forward is to make these
sort of promises. And more often not they'll be able to deliver on it. And Manchester City can bristle as much as they want. I'm not entirely sure what their legal position will be. Agitation, you know, what's their legal position going to be? You know, what? All they can say is hands-off. It's kind of tapping up, isn't it? Well, it's a public courting of another player. Suggesting that you're going to buy somebody. Now, of course, if you're saying that you're going to buy somebody, then Man City will eventually have to come to the player's wishes. Yeah. And Haaland will do what Haaland wants to do in the end despite his protestations to the alternate. He will do precisely what he wants to do. And I would imagine on his bucket list in
football terms, will be to play for Real Madrid. He'll not say that now. Actually, Riquelme's other promise um regards Raul is probably as equally uh as persuasive. Well, where's I mean, I don't know. as promising Haaland. he good Is he a good sporting director, Raul? What's his credentials besides being a top player in his day? Is he a great sporting director? Absolutely. He's a vote winner though, isn't he? Much adored and loved. Maybe. If people but people are not silly. Football fans aren't silly. If they don't think that Raul is going to be a good sporting director, his reputation will mean nothing to them on
the field in the end. Well, sure. I mean, I remember in quite Menorca, Raul was dining at the next table and the amount of attention that he caught was be Um well, we'll see what happens then because it's now down to the vote. This apparently was in a live TV debate Perez last night. Perez or Riquelme? I bet it's Perez. And with Perez having been there for 23 of the past 26 years, you would think Perez will carry on. If Riquelme gets in, it'll get super interesting. Rodrygo meantime can he continues to train with the Spanish squad, of which he is captain out in the USA.
