Florentino Perez reconsidering ownership change at Real Madrid

Real Madrid President Florentino Perez will have a key role to play in the future of the club in the coming weeks. Last year he announced that the club were looking into a change of model, and in the upcoming General Assembly, Perez is due to present a proposal to the club’s members.

The General Assembly will be held on the 22nd of November, during which club’s members will vote on the usual items, such as approving the annual accounts and budgets for the coming year. Perez will then explain a change of model that he has been exploring for the past 18 months.

Perez being lobbied by two different sides

According to MD, there is a split on the Real Madrid board over the issue. Perez and advisor Anas Laghrari, who played a crucial role in the creation of The Superleague are in favour of a model that would see Los Blancos split into a football operation and a separate commercial business.

Opposing the idea are a siginificant chunk of his board, including brother Enrique Perez, and General Manager Jose Angel Sanchez. It is explained that lawyer Jose Luis del Valle, who is another trusted advisor and secretary of Perez’s construction giant ACS, is advising him against the change. While Pere has not walked back his decision, del Valle’s opinion could be a factor in Perez’s ultimate decision.

Uncertainty over model change

The idea of splitting Real Madrid into two entities is the one that has been mooted more often than others, but there is still no clarity on what proposal Perez will put forward for a referendum. Another idea is to sell 49% of Real Madrid to investors, leaving the club members as the majority shareholder, or potentially making the Real Madrid Foundation the majority shareholder. Any decision taken will require the vote of the members to pass.