Real Madrid fans are used to seeing Rafael Nadal in the stands at the Santiago Bernabéu. The tennis great is now close to taking on a new role at the club, a move that has sparked talk about who might succeed Florentino Pérez, just months after the president secured a new term running until 2030.
The agreement with Nadal was reached before El Clásico and kept within a circle of four people close to the club until it was made public. In May, the former tennis player had denied reports linking him to the election slate of Enrique Riquelme, Pérez’s rival.
Real Madrid confirmed that Nadal’s appointment to the board would be put to the General Assembly of club delegates for approval on 21 November. If ratified, the move would give the 22-time Grand Slam champion a chance to learn how the club is run from the inside.
Nadal welcomed the nomination in a post on X. “I accepted this offer with great enthusiasm, eager to learn and to contribute everything I can,” he wrote. In a 2024 interview, he said the idea of becoming president appealed to him, although it was not part of his plans.
Article 40 of the club’s statutes requires 20 consecutive years of membership to run for president, 15 to stand for vice-president and 10 to stand for a board seat. Candidates must also submit a preliminary bank guarantee covering at least 15% of the club’s expenditure budget.
Nadal was made an honorary member in 2011. If his membership is counted from that date, he would reach the 20-year threshold in 2031, a year after Pérez’s current term ends.
The statutes provide another route if the presidency becomes permanently vacant. The board then chooses a president from among its members, with the appointment submitted for ratification at the next General Assembly. The provision does not specify whether 15 years of membership would be enough to take office this way.
If the delegates approve his appointment in November, Nadal will join Pérez’s board. Any bid to succeed him through an election will depend on when the next vote takes place, whether Nadal meets the eligibility requirements and whether he decides to run.
