Real Madrid announced on Wednesday, November 4 that it will propose appointing tennis legend Rafael Nadal, a lifelong supporter of the club, to its board of directors.
The proposal will be put to a vote by the club’s members, known as socios, at an extraordinary general assembly on November 21, the Spanish giants said.
“For Real Madrid and all Madrid supporters, it is an immense source of pride that a figure of his sporting and human stature — an iconic figure in Spanish and world sport — will join our board of directors and, in this capacity, contribute to the present and future of our club,” the club said in a statement.
The 22-time Grand Slam winner, including 14 French Open titles, had already been an honorary member of Real Madrid since 2011 and has a close relationship with club president Florentino Pérez.
“I would like to thank President Florentino Pérez and the board, who offered me the opportunity to become part of Real Madrid’s board of directors. I accepted this proposal with great enthusiasm, a desire to learn and to contribute everything I can,” Nadal said in a post on social media.
A Real Madrid supporter since childhood, “Rafa,” who retired in 2024, said in 2023 that he would like to become the club’s president one day, but did not consider himself sufficiently “qualified” for the role.
