Rafael Nadal is one of the greatest tennis players of this generation. His contribution to the sport cannot be measured in accolades. However, Nadal is rumored to switch from tennis to soccer very soon. While he has not hung up his racket yet, it seems that the Spaniard is the best choice as the next president of the soccer team Real Madrid.
Real Madrid is one of the most accomplished clubs of all time. The La Liga giants have won the Champions League a record 14 times. They are miles ahead of the next team in line, AC Milan, who won it 7 times.
Spanish media think that Florentino Perez might step down as President of the club soon. And who is the best candidate as his successor? 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of course!
Rafael Nadal new President of @realmadrid?!#TCLive pic.twitter.com/d1tAEs8NYN
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 12, 2023
While the Club has denied all the rumors, Spanish media Mundo Deportivo reports otherwise. Apparently, Perez will leave once the remodeling of Santiago Bernabeu is done.
But it wasn’t Mundo Deportivo that reported about Nadal being Perez’s successor. It was another media outlet, Sport. They reported that Nadal is, “the best possible ambassador of Real Madrid and its values”.
However, the tennis star might be more of a figurehead, rather than someone who takes all-important calls on club affairs. As for the executive functions, there is Emilio Butragueno. Emilo is the Director of Institutional Relations of the club and the best candidate for the ‘White Throne.’
Nadal is passionate about soccer and his love for the club is very well known. As of now, it is only a rumor and should be taken with a pinch of salt. The Spaniard is currently recuperating from surgery.
Rafael Nadal is an avid supporter of Real Madrid
Even though Rafa hails from Mallorca, he supports the legendary soccer club Real Madrid. He has been a Madrid loyalist since he was a young boy, except when his uncle played for Barcelona.
Rafa’s love for the team runs Very deep. Last year, he asked the organizers of the Madrid Open to change the time of his match so it wouldn’t clash with Madrid’s match. Of course, the organizers obliged him too.
Real Madrid was due to play Manchester City in the second leg of the Champions League that day. The chief of the Madrid Open, Feliciano Lopez, rescheduled his game.
Uno de los nuestros, Rafa Nadal pic.twitter.com/eT6Xs1J65O
— Real Madrid (@realmadridnote) October 11, 2020
Nadal has also written about the club in his autobiography. He revealed that he would wake up to watch their match, no matter what his own schedule looked like for the day. He also admitted that Madrid’s matches made him more nervous than his own matches.
Rafa was there when Real Madrid was crowned winners of La Liga in 2022. He celebrated the club’s victory with Carlo Ancelotti, Ronaldo, and Luis Figo.
Celebrating La Liga 🤍👑 pic.twitter.com/gwN8z3dUh8
— F r a n 🇪🇸 (@_rafalewis) May 2, 2022
With the rumors of Perez stepping down and Nadal taking over, these are exciting times for fans of tennis and soccer. Nadal would surely prove to be an asset to the club, as he is one of the best-known names around the globe.