Real Madrid election turns into prime-time spectacle as Haaland and Mourinho 'signings' are denied within hours
Both candidates in Sunday's Real Madrid presidential election unveiled blockbuster managerial and player pledges on Wednesday night, only for the Haaland camp, Manchester City, and Mourinho himself to issue swift denials.
The television offensive
Real Madrid's first contested presidential election in 20 years erupted into a prime-time media battle on Wednesday evening. Challenger Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable-energy entrepreneur, appeared on Antena 3's 'El Hormiguero' (which drew 1.855 million viewers and a 16.1% share, its best in four months) to present his candidacy. During the interview, Riquelme held up a Real Madrid shirt bearing Erling Haaland's name and the number nine, declaring the Manchester City striker would be his first signing if elected. He also named Spain midfielder Rodri as a target and said former forward Raúl would serve as sporting director.
Pérez counters with Mourinho
Incumbent president Florentino Pérez struck back immediately. As 'El Hormiguero' ended, Antena 3 aired a campaign spot purchased by Pérez in which José Mourinho, wearing a Real Madrid shirt, says a single word: "¡Sí!" The ad, part of a "So MOUch history to be made" slogan, also ran on Telecinco, Cuatro, and laSexta, reaching over 6.57 million television contacts across six broadcasts. Pérez later confirmed the move on social media, framing Mourinho (who led Real to a record LaLiga points tally in 2012) as the manager to restore discipline to a squad featuring Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Jude Bellingham. Mediaset then announced Pérez would appear on Iker Jiménez's 'Horizonte' on Thursday night to reveal "important news" about his project.
The Haaland denial
Within hours of Riquelme's appearance, the Haaland camp issued a statement through agent Rafaela Pimenta and father Alfie Haaland, distributed by the One Sarl agency: "Todo es muy entretenido, pero NO es cierto. Deseamos lo mejor a ambos candidatos en las elecciones del Real Madrid." On Thursday morning, Manchester City escalated further, sending a private communication to several media outlets.
The club specifically rejected Riquelme's claim that Haaland has a release clause in his contract.The stories that have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are false. There is no possibility of this happening and there is no contractual clause that allows it. We are considering legal action.
Mourinho and the AI claim
Pérez's Mourinho video also came under immediate scrutiny. Portuguese newspaper Record reported that Mourinho contacted Benfica (where he is under contract until June 2027 and had said the club proposed a renewal) to assert he did not record the video and that the images were generated by artificial intelligence. Mourinho did not necessarily deny the existence of contacts with Pérez, only the authenticity of the footage. Separately, Real Madrid notified Benfica in writing that it would pay the €15 million release clause for Mourinho next week if Pérez wins the election.
- Enrique Riquelme appears on 'El Hormiguero', announces Haaland and Rodri as signings, and names Raúl as sporting director.
- Florentino Pérez's Mourinho '¡Sí!' ad airs on Antena 3 immediately after 'El Hormiguero' ends.
- Mourinho ad airs on Telecinco during 'La isla de las tentaciones' (1.202 million viewers).
- Mourinho ad airs again on Antena 3 (1.603 million viewers), the highest-rated single broadcast.
- Haaland's agent and father issue statement: 'Todo es muy entretenido, pero NO es cierto.'
- Manchester City denies any possibility of Haaland leaving and says it is considering legal action.
- Portuguese media report Mourinho told Benfica the video was AI-generated; Real Madrid notifies Benfica of €15m clause payment.
A campaign of promises and propaganda
The episode echoes Florentino Pérez's famous 2000 pledge to sign Luís Figo, which was publicly denied by the player before being consummated after Pérez's victory via a €60 million buyout clause. Riquelme's camp has reportedly insisted a deal with Haaland was sealed personally by the candidate with the player and his father. With voting set for Sunday, the election has become a contest fought through prime-time ads, social media, and billboards, leaving members to weigh pledges that both camps' marquee names have already disowned.
