MADRID: Florentino Perez has been returned as president of Real Madrid unopposed after a season which saw the club crowned as world, European and Spanish champions.

Trophy success does not automatically guarantee the loyalty of Madrid’s socios: Lorenzo Sanz was ousted in 1998 shortly after Madrid regained the European Champions Cup for the first time in 32 years.

However construction mogul Perez has also taken advantage of his grip on power to tighten the election rules and has thus reclaimed the presidency for the third term in succession without a challenge.

The deadline for candidacy submissions was midnight Sunday amd thus the 70-year-old was clear for a  fifth term in office.

New statutes were in 2012 which laid down that a challenger should have been a club member for 20 years instead of 10 and have the support of a bank guarantee matching 15pc of the club’s assets supported by personal assets and not third parties.

The immediate task confronting Perez is to calm the storm which has erupted around the tax authorities’ determination to sue superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for tax evasion.

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