Enrique Riquelme asks Nadal for help to stop the sale of Madrid

Enrique Riquelme, Florentino Pérez's rival in the June elections, has welcomed Rafa Nadal to the Real Madrid board on social media, according to MARCA. But his message goes beyond congratulations: he asks the tennis player to help prevent the sale of the club and to improve the status of members, with more transparency and democracy.

The club announced today the proposal to appoint Nadal, which must be ratified by the General Assembly of Members on 21 November. The reference to the sale points to the corporate restructuring plan that would open the door to private capital, one of the core issues of Riquelme's campaign against Florentino, who was re-elected with 65% of the vote.

Riquelme and Nadal have a good relationship built on business and sport: Riquelme's Grupo Cox sponsors Team Rafa. Earlier this year Nadal denied any link to Riquelme's candidacy, saying he gets along well with him but has great respect for Florentino.