Real Madrid News
‘I have an agreement with two international stars’ – Real Madrid presidential candidate talks transfer plans, Mourinho, Klopp and more
With the presidential elections at Real Madrid approaching, the political atmosphere around the club is becoming increasingly intense.
One of the main presidential candidates, Enrique Riquelme, has now made several major statements about the club’s future, including transfer plans, the managerial situation, and even the controversial Negreira case.
In an interview with ABC, Riquelme appeared determined to present himself as a candidate capable of leading a new era at the Santiago Bernabeu.
While much of the attention around the club remains focused on the possible return of Jose Mourinho, the businessman instead shifted focus towards a long-term sporting project.
Riquelme promises two stars
One of the strongest claims made during the interview involved potential transfer business.
Riquelme confidently revealed that preparations are already underway behind the scenes if he wins the elections. While discussing his plans for the squad, he stated,
“We have signed two international stars. I have an agreement whereby, if I am president, two major international stars will play for Real Madrid.
“Two stars who are essential for the short-, medium- and long-term sporting project. We will probably announce it within the next fortnight,” he added.
In that regard, it must be noted that Riquelme’s representatives have reportedly held talks with Erling Haaland.
On Mourinho’s arrival
Riquelme was also asked about Mourinho, whose return to the Bernabeu is reportedly being prepared by Florentino Perez.
While he avoided directly criticising the Portuguese manager, he made it clear that his vision revolves around stability and long-term planning.
“I have never been a Mourinho supporter or an anti-Mourinho supporter. I have been and am a Real Madrid supporter,” he said.
“If I am president, we will assess him, but we are looking to create a long-term project. There will be time to talk about managers later,” he noted.
Riquelme also acknowledged Mourinho’s achievements in football while suggesting that Real Madrid now need a different kind of direction moving forward.
He said Mourinho “is a great manager who has achieved many successes and has a distinctive style of managing the dressing room. So at some point he may be good, or not, for a particular club.
“But in our case, I believe that Real Madrid needs a project for the future, not a short-term one as a quick fix for the current situation, but to completely change course with a medium- and long-term project.”
Rather, the Spanish businessman reserved his praise for former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“I love Klopp. I already said that in 2021. He’s a good manager and a good coach, but there are other managers I like too, not just Klopp.
“Besides, Klopp is now working for Red Bull. We’ll see what happens in the coming days, but obviously he’s the sort of person I’d love to see coaching Real Madrid, sooner or later.”
On Alonso and Arbeloa
The presidential candidate also shared his thoughts on the dismissal of Xabi Alonso, making it clear that he disagreed with how quickly the project ended.
While speaking about the former midfielder, Riquelme admitted, “I don’t know Xabi personally, but he strikes me as a great professional.
“As a player, he was a legend, and as Leverkusen’s manager, I think what he achieved was historic.
“It was the right decision to bring him in and a mistake to sack him, but you can’t build a project in three months.”
He also questioned the decision to replace Alonso with Alvaro Arbeloa midway through the season, suggesting the move may have come too early.
“Perhaps he wasn’t the right man for the job at this moment. Look, perhaps he’ll become the best manager in the world and I wish him all the best because he was a great Madrid player.
“I know he’s a great person and professional, and it’s true he’s also had very little time.
“But I think Real Madrid needs, for this phase at least, managers who are role models and who are respected,” he emphasised.
The Negreira controversy
Finally, Riquelme also addressed the long-running Negreira controversy involving Barcelona, criticising how the situation had been handled from the beginning.
Regarding the matter, he recalled, “In 2024, at the delegates’ general meeting, it was said that a strong Barça was needed, and the Negreira affair was already known at that point.
“At the time, there were interests at play to ensure nothing came of the Negreira case, and once Barça ceased to be a member of the Super League, that is when interest in the Negreira case began.
“Probably, the reason why absolutely nothing has happened to Barcelona regarding the Negreira case is that we didn’t start with a proper strategy to counter it from the outset.
“If we had, the outcome would have been different,” he concluded.
Source: Mundo Deportivo
Real Madrid News
Jose Mourinho was always clear about getting rid of Real Madrid midfielder this summer – report
Real Madrid’s summer transfer window was largely successful, not only in terms of securing key arrivals but also in terms of letting go of players who had no place in the dynamics.
One player who stood out in the second category was Dani Ceballos as the Spanish midfielder was frozen out of Real Madrid’s starting dynamics for several years before his eventual departure.
In the end, the club simply let the player leave as a free agent by accepting a contract termination as they saw the salary space freed as a win compared to his presence.
Mourinho’s clear stance
As confirmed in a recent report by Diario AS, Real Madrid’s new manager Jose Mourinho has no doubt that he did not count on Ceballos for the ongoing season.
Being the straightforward communicator that he is, the Portuguese manager directly informed Ceballos that he did not count on him in any capacity, speaking out loud about a fact that was known as an open secret for a long time.
Having clarity that his situation at the club was not going to change, Ceballos pressed to leave and eventually had his way as the club allowed him to walk out of the front door with no transfer fee.
Times were tense
The Spanish outlet also add that the decision to let the player leave with a contract termination was not easy for Real Madrid to accept, especially given that it is a last resort.
In the negotiations between Ceballos and the Real Madrid hierarchy, there were some moments filled with tension and disagreements.
In fact, there was even an initial exit agreement that was reached which was cancelled in the hope of a better outcome.
Eventually, however, both parties reached a fitting resolution and Real Madrid enabled the player’s departure without any hurdles and Ceballos went on to join Real Betis.
Even that move required the player to take a massive cut on his salary, but the saga worked out well for both clubs as the player. From Real Madrid’s perspective, the space created on the team’s roster was worth its weight in gold.
