Rafael Nadal Set to Join Real Madrid's Board
Rafael Nadal is set to join the board of directors of Real Madrid, the Spanish club he has supported since he was a boy. The tennis great, who retired in 2024, said he accepted the offer with excitement. He thanked club president Florentino Pérez and the existing board, according to BBC Sport.
The appointment still needs approval. Real Madrid is owned by its members, known in Spanish as socios, and they vote on the club's major decisions. The club has called its ordinary and extraordinary general assemblies for Saturday, November 21, and Nadal's name is on the agenda as a proposed board member.
The club's official statement says the proposal follows Article 46 of its bylaws, the club's internal rulebook. Nadal, whose full name is Rafael Nadal Parera, holds Real Madrid member number 67,778.
Nadal's record in tennis is among the strongest the sport has seen. He won 22 Grand Slam titles, the four biggest tournaments in the game: the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. He also won two Olympic gold medals and helped Spain win five Davis Cups, the men's international team competition. He retired in 2024.
The role is a boardroom one, not a playing or coaching post. Board members help set the club's direction alongside the president. Pérez has led Real Madrid since 2009. Members re-elected him in June for a new four-year term.
On the pitch, Real Madrid sit third in La Liga, Spain's top division, after 11 games. They are three points behind defending champions Barcelona.
For a club that has spent decades drawing fans from every corner of the world, a figure like Nadal carries a particular weight. He is a sportsman who has been a supporter for most of his life, and now he will have a say in how the club is run. The members' vote on November 21 will settle the matter.
