Manchester City Considers Legal Action Over Haaland and Rodri Remarks

Manchester City have moved onto a war footing after a Real Madrid presidential candidate publicly promised to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri, prompting a furious denial and the threat of legal action.

Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy tycoon bidding to unseat Florentino Perez, lit the fuse live on Spanish television on Wednesday. He held up a Real Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name on the back and declared that the Manchester City striker would join him at the Santiago Bernabeu if he wins Sunday’s election.

“He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid,” Riquelme said.

The response from Haaland’s camp and from City was immediate and uncompromising.

A joint statement from Haaland’s father and agent flatly rejected the claim, before City went on the offensive.

“The stories which have emerged from Spain regarding the future of Erling Haaland are untrue,” the statement read. “There is no chance of this happening and there is no contractual clause to enable it.

“We are considering legal action for the use of our player image in this context.”

In other words, City are not just annoyed by the noise around their star striker; they are prepared to challenge how his name and image are being used in a heated presidential campaign 700 miles away.

Riquelme did not stop at Haaland. He also placed a target on the back of City’s midfield linchpin Rodri, openly framing him as a cornerstone of his vision for Madrid.

“He is a great player, in a position where Madrid need to strengthen,” Riquelme said. “We have spoken to his agent. We have to respect his club, but if I’m president he will play for Madrid. I will do everything possible.”

Those words drag another of Pep Guardiola’s most important players into the political crossfire in Madrid, turning City into an unwilling participant in Real’s first genuinely contested presidential race in two decades.

Riquelme’s challenge comes at a moment of rare vulnerability for Perez. After two seasons without a major trophy, the long-standing president faces an electorate of just under 100,000 club members on 7 June, in an election he himself called to renew his mandate amid growing unrest in the stands at the Bernabeu.

To shift the mood, Riquelme has built his campaign on grand promises and fan-pleasing gestures. He has pledged vast giveaways, including the construction of a dedicated “members’ city” for supporters around the club’s training base. He has also vowed to cut annual membership fees by up to 50% if Madrid fail to win the Champions League next season.

His platform does not stop at players and infrastructure. Riquelme has openly opposed Perez’s decision to bring Jose Mourinho back to the club. The Portuguese coach’s appointment can only be formally ratified if Perez wins the vote, turning the managerial position into another fault line in the election.

Riquelme’s camp has instead hinted at a very different profile: Jurgen Klopp. The former Liverpool manager, currently out of work, has been floated as their preferred candidate to lead Madrid into a new era.

When asked about Klopp in an interview with The Athletic last month, Riquelme said: “Naturally, I would love for profiles of that calibre, and others like them, to coach this club.”

The message is clear: new president, new coach, new galácticos. Haaland and Rodri, willingly or not, have become symbols of that promise.

Perez, still considered the overwhelming favourite to retain power, has seen off every challenger for 20 years without a genuine contest. Now, with banners of discontent in the Bernabeu and a trophy cabinet that has stayed shut for two seasons, he faces an opponent willing to use the biggest names in world football as campaign tools.

City, meanwhile, have drawn their own line in the sand. The champions of England insist there is no release clause for Haaland, no deal, no back door. If Riquelme wants to win votes, they are determined he will not do it by trading on their players’ images unchecked.

The ballots will be cast on Sunday in Madrid. The legal threats from Manchester may not be far behind.