Manchester City Considers Legal Action Over Haaland Shirt Controversy
Manchester City are weighing up legal action after a Real Madrid presidential candidate publicly vowed to sign Erling Haaland and even held up a Madrid shirt with the striker’s name on it.
Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy tycoon attempting to unseat Florentino Perez, made the explosive claim live on Spanish television on Wednesday. He produced a Real Madrid jersey with “Haaland” on the back and declared: “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.”
The response from Haaland’s camp was immediate and emphatic. In a joint statement, the Manchester City forward’s father and agent dismissed the notion outright, before City themselves moved to shut the story down.
“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.”
For City, the issue cuts deeper than just transfer gossip. Publicly parading a shirt with Haaland’s name and presenting his signing as a fait accompli has triggered anger at the Premier League champions, who see it as an unauthorised use of their player’s image and a misrepresentation of his contractual situation.
Riquelme did not stop at Haaland. He also pledged to prise Rodri from the Etihad, identifying the City midfielder as a cornerstone of his vision for a rebuilt 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.”
It is an aggressive pitch, and a striking contrast to the typically controlled messaging that has defined Perez’s two-decade grip on power. This is the first time in 20 years the Real Madrid president has faced a contested election, and Riquelme has chosen a campaign of grand promises and bold gestures after two seasons without a major trophy.
His manifesto leans heavily on largesse. He has promised a “members’ city” for supporters around the club’s training base and vowed to slash annual membership fees by up to 50% if Madrid fail to win the Champions League next season. The giveaways are designed to tap into frustration in the stands at the Santiago Bernabeu and to present a younger, more populist alternative to Perez.
There is a clear fault line on the touchline as well. Riquelme opposes Perez’s decision to bring Jose Mourinho back as manager, a move that can only be formally ratified if the incumbent wins the vote. Riquelme’s camp has instead dropped heavy hints that Jurgen Klopp is their preferred choice.
When asked about Klopp by The Athletic last month, Riquelme said: “Naturally, I would love for profiles of that calibre, and others like them, to coach this club.” No promises, but the message was obvious: under his presidency, Madrid would chase the biggest names in the dugout as well as on the pitch.
Just under 100,000 club members are eligible to vote in Sunday’s election, scheduled for 7 June. Perez himself called the vote, seeking a renewed mandate after a period of on-field unrest and growing disapproval among sections of the Bernabeu crowd.
He remains the overwhelming favourite. Institutional power, a long track record and the backing of much of the club’s establishment are all on his side. Yet Riquelme has already dragged the campaign into territory that reaches far beyond Madrid’s internal politics.
By invoking Haaland and Rodri, and by prompting a potential legal fight with Manchester City, he has turned this election into a story that stretches from the Bernabeu to the Etihad. On Sunday, Madrid’s members will decide whether that kind of high-stakes brinkmanship is the future they want.
