Real Madrid President Florentino Perez
Speaking at the club’s annual general assembly on Sunday, Perez announced plans to create a new subsidiary company in which Real Madrid’s 98,272 socios would retain full control while allowing a minority shareholder—expected to hold around five percent—to invest in the club.
Perez said the proposal follows a year of internal evaluation and will be presented to members through an “extraordinary assembly,” where around 2,000 representative socios (compromisarios) will vote on whether all adult members should decide the final outcome in a referendum.
“After deep reflection, the conclusion is clear,” Perez told members. “Real Madrid will remain a members’ club, but we will create a subsidiary in which socios maintain control, supported by a minority investor who shares our values and helps protect the club from external threats.”
He stressed that the club is not seeking to list on the stock exchange, and that any investment would be capped to ensure that Real Madrid “remains in the hands of its members.” The club would also retain the right to buy back the investor’s stake in the future.
Perez framed the plan as a response to what he described as external pressures, particularly from La Liga president Javier Tebas, whom he accused of attempting to influence Spanish law in ways that could impact Madrid’s revenues.
He spent much of the assembly criticizing threats he believes could undermine the club’s independence.
Instead of converting to a Sports Limited Company (SAD) like most Spanish professional clubs, Perez outlined a new ownership structure in which each socio would hold a single share with monetary value.
These shares could be passed down only to children or grandchildren, although full details of the mechanism have not yet been disclosed.
Sources familiar with the proposal say the minority investor would receive dividends from the club’s income but would have no voting rights, while socios would retain full authority to elect the club president and approve any changes to its statutes