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Tennis icon Rafael Nadal is primed to join Real Madrid's board of directors, but still faces the challenge of stumping up €187million (£155.90m)if he wants to realise his ambition of being the club's president in the future. The Spaniard has been proposed as the newest member of current president Florentino Perez's board.
While the 22-time Grand Slam champion has been approved by the board, he must receive final approval from Real Madrid's Extraordinary General Assembly on November 21. Nevertheless, the move has set tongues wagging over the potential of Nadal stepping into the top job in the future.
Nadal, a lifelong Real Madrid supporter and honorary member of the club, retired from tennis in November 2024 but has no plans to stop working despite having won a vast fortune. The 40-year-old's net worth is around £163million, so he would be required to use a significant portion of it as a guarantee if he wanted the presidency any time soon.
There is no indication he is gunning for Perez's job just yet, after the Real Madrid chief secured a new four-year term as president earlier this year. Indeed, Nadal singled Perez out for thanks after being proposed for his newest role.
"I want to thank President Florentino Perez and the board for proposing that I join the board of directors of Real Madrid," Nadal said. "I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can."
The financial responsibility is just one part of the criteria that must be fulfilled should Nadal target the presidency in the future. Though he already ticks at least one box.
The criteria includes being a Spanish citizen of legal age, being a Real Madrid member for at least 20 years, not holding football positions at other clubs and the candidacy must include a board of directors. The specific financial responsibility is to present a bank guarantee equivalent to 15 per cent of the club’s annual budget.
Nadal has spoken on more than one occasion about the possibility of becoming president of Real Madrid, but also praised Perez's achievements. Asked about the possibility in 2023, Nadal said: "I think I would like to be it.
"But first of all, lots of things. First of all, today there is nothing to say because we have the best president possible. Afterwards, I don’t know if what I could think now is what I could think tomorrow. And afterwards, life takes many turns."
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During his tennis career, Nadal described the possibility as a 'utopia'. “One has to know if one is capable to do those types of things," he said.
"I’m pretty realistic with myself, I know more or less my limitations and in that (being president), I don’t know whether I’d be capable or I wouldn’t be capable. But time will tell.”
"You never know what can happen. Everyone knows I’m a football fanatic and Real Madrid is my team. Speaking about that now is a utopia, but if you ask me, of course I would like to be president.
“In any case, we’re very well how we are, we have a great president and I don’t think Real Madrid needs me for anything or that it is going to happen.”
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