The hot seat awaits the successor to Julián Palacios. Real Madrid’s board of directors has set strict and clear criteria for selecting the new president of the Santiago Bernabéu, a position that will become vacant following the departure of the current chief, who has held the role since 2021.
The club’s administration is preparing for a new era, with the primary condition for any candidate being a long-standing membership, requiring no less than twenty years of continuous affiliation with the club. This criterion alone narrows the field of potential successors significantly.
Furthermore, the chosen candidate must possess a strong and clean financial record, capable of bearing the immense responsibilities associated with managing one of the world’s biggest clubs. The financial guarantee required is substantial, reflecting the scale of the operation.
According to information from the Spanish newspaper “Marca,” the new president will not only oversee the club’s sporting and administrative projects but will also be directly responsible for managing the new Santiago Bernabéu stadium. This includes all operational and commercial aspects of the state-of-the-art venue, a cornerstone of the club’s future revenue.
The final and perhaps most decisive criterion is that the candidate must secure the absolute support and recommendation of Florentino Pérez, the current president of Real Madrid. This endorsement is considered the golden key to reaching the position, emphasizing the continuity of the club’s current strategic vision.
The selection process is expected to be finalized during the next General Assembly of club members, scheduled for the end of 2026. Until then, the club’s leadership continues its meticulous search for the individual who will meet these demanding standards and take the helm at the new Bernabéu.
