BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Real Madrid’s two presidential candidates have stepped up their campaigning, with incumbent Florentino Pérez featuring prospective new coach Jose Mourinho in promotional material and challenger Enrique Riquelme angering Manchester City with comments about under-contract star Erling Haaland.
The tossing around of the big names comes ahead of the vote by club members on Sunday.
Mourinho was reportedly already lined up for a second spell in charge of Madrid before the 79-year-old Pérez called for elections last month. Now it appears that Mourinho's return is contingent on Pérez winning another term as president of the Spanish giant.
“MOUcha historia por hacer (“So MOUch history to make”),” read the caption on a post by Perez on X published late Wednesday that included a video of Mourinho saying “Si” (“Yes”).
Mourinho, who coached Madrid from 2010-2013, would replace Alvaro Arbeloa after the club finished a second straight campaign without a major trophy.
Riquelme, meanwhile, announced his intention of luring Haaland away from City late on Wednesday on a popular late night talk show. The TV show’s host held up a fake Real Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name on the back while the crowd applauded.
“Haaland has a clause (in his contract) and wants to come to Madrid,” said the 37-year-old businessman who has made his career in renewable energy.
Riquelme also said if elected he would negotiate with City to bring in Spain midfielder Rodri.
City reacted with a statement on Thursday that read: “The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue.
"There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it.”
City added that it was “considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”
In January 2025, Haaland signed a new contract with City through 2034 in one of the most lucrative deals in soccer — and the longest by a Premier League player. City has never made public the details of any buyout clause in Haaland’s contract.
The City statement made no mention of Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner whose contract expires in 2027.
Douglas reported from Sundsvall, Sweden.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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