In the build-up to Real Madrid’s Ordinary General Assembly this weekend, former club president Ramon Calderon has publicly voiced his concerns about the direction taken by current president Florentino Perez.
The club’s members are set to vote on the accounts for the 2024-25 season, but a far more controversial discussion looms over the horizon, which is the possibility of Real Madrid adopting an entirely new corporate model.
Perez has already announced plans for a separate Extraordinary Assembly, where he intends to outline the details of this structural shift.
What is the matter?
According to the Real Madrid president, the idea is to reinforce the members’ control over the club’s economic assets, ultimately giving socios a stronger role in major financial decisions.
However, the proposal has already sparked heated debate. Calderon, who led the club between 2006 and 2009, has been one of the most outspoken critics.
During an appearance on the programme Directo Gol, he did not hide his unease about the long-term consequences of Perez’s vision.
“I would not like to see it, unless they tell me it is inevitable, because it will cause a cataclysm in the club.”
The former president also questioned the reasoning behind presenting the proposal as a way to strengthen member ownership.
Ramon Calderon, Former Real Madrid president
Ramon Calderon is not pleased with the model proposed by Florentino Perez. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
“You can’t insist that this is being done to make the club belong to its members, the club already belongs to its members.
“I have the feeling that it’s an economic problem. The stadium’s accounts have gotten out of hand for the club.”
Addressing the bigger matter
Calderon then went on to address the future of one of the club’s biggest stars, Vinicius Jr., whose contract runs until June 2027.
He highlighted the moment the club is in, and then added,
“It’s a good time to make him think about it, he’s in the best team in the world. It’s very cold outside.”
Real Madrid’s financial results paint a complex picture. The club closed last season with a profit of €24 million after taxes and generated €1.185 billion in ordinary income.
Even so, rising costs, particularly those linked to the stadium redevelopment,remain a major talking point among members, critics, and economic analysts.