Tennis icon and long-time Real Madrid fan Rafael Nadal has confessed his wish to become the club’s president one day but insists Florentino Perez is currently the best man for the job.
Perez, who is currently 76 years old, has done a tremendous job over his two spells at the club. He first came on as president in 2000 and served for just over six years before handing in his resignation. He returned to the role in 2009 and has been ruling with an iron fist since. Under his leadership, Madrid have won 25 trophies, including five UEFA Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles.
Nadal Open To Real Madrid Presidency
Although his spell as president has seen Real Madrid emerge as the undisputed Kings of Europe, Perez’s episode will eventually come to an end. And when it finally does, crowd favorite Nadal could emerge as a potential successor. Speaking to Movistar Plus+, the Spaniard acknowledged his desire to become Madrid’s president but did not appear eager to replace Perez.
“I don’t know [if I would join Madrid]. I promise that it’s not always been a dream of mine. But if you ask me if I’d like to be Real Madrid president, I think I would.
“But first of all, we’ve got the best possible president at the moment. On top of that, how I feel today might not be how I feel tomorrow. And then you never know what can happen in life. You have to know if you’re capable of doing that type of thing. I’m quite realistic with myself, I more or less know my limitations. I don’t know if I’d be capable of doing it or not. Anyway, time will tell.”
Nadal Could Be A Good Successor To Florentino Perez
The 37-year-old, who has won 22 Grand Slams, has a good rapport with the media and is a respected personality in the sporting circle. The latter quality could help him bring the best players to the club. Current president Perez also appears to be fond of Nadal and probably would not mind showing him the ropes at the end of his tenure. All factors considered, Nadal’s chances of succeeding as the president of Real Madrid seem quite high.
