Florentino Perez re-elected as president of Real Madrid

Florentino Perez has been re-elected as Real Madrid’s president until 2030 in the first genuine presidential contest since 2006.

Perez proclaimed his victory during a speech at a hotel in the Spanish capital after winning 65% of the vote, the club's official count showed.

"We've obtained the second-best result in the history of Real Madrid [elections]," Perez said. "It's an extraordinary result... Today, Real Madrid won. We've shown an example of democracy to the world. We'll keep working for Real Madrid to keep winning trophies... I want to thank everyone who participated. Together, we have a lot of history left to make."

Perez’s challenger, Enrique Riquelme, a renewable energy tycoon, secured 35% of the 33,555 members who voted at Real's Valdebebas training ground on the outskirts of Madrid on Sunday.

"I would like to congratulate Florentino Perez's campaign on its victory. Real Madrid will not go another 20 years without an election," Riquelme told reporters.

The 79-year-old Spanish construction magnate called the election on May 12, two years before his mandate expired, after failing to win silverware in two straight seasons.

Real Madrid are the 15-times European champions and their arch-rivals Barcelona have retained their LaLiga title this season.

Perez won his first presidential election in 2000 and has renewed his mandate five times since 2009 by running unopposed.

In the build-up to Sunday's vote, Perez promised to hire Benfica manager Jose Mourinho and said he would go after an unnamed player to be revealed on Tuesday and spend 150 million euros on him, a fee that would represent a club record.

He also said defenders Ibrahima Konate and Denzel Dumfries would be his first signings if elected.