After a season well below expectations, Real Madrid members will once again go to the polls to elect the next president.

Florentino Pérez decided to proceed with a new election at Real Madrid to dispel potential doubts regarding his leadership.

The statutes are very clear regarding the requirements necessary to be able to run for president of the Spanish club.

7 requirements to be a candidate:

• Be a Spanish citizen
• Be of legal age and have full legal capacity
• Have been a Real Madrid member for at least 20 consecutive years
• Present a bank guarantee equivalent to 15% of the club’s annual budget — currently around €187 million — secured with personal assets.
• Not be prevented from holding management positions due to sanctions or legal incompatibilities.
• Not hold active positions in football at other clubs (for example: manager, coach, referee or active player).
• The candidacy must also include a board of directors with several members (minimum of nine members/directors).

These are very restrictive requirements and within reach of a very select group of people, which means that the race for the leadership of Real Madrid should not be very competitive.