Manchester City Considers Legal Action Over Real Madrid's Haaland and Rodri Claims
Manchester City have moved onto a war footing after a Real Madrid presidential candidate publicly promised to sign Erling Haaland and Rodri, even unveiling a Madrid shirt with Haaland’s name on it live on television.
Enrique Riquelme, a 37-year-old renewable energy tycoon attempting to unseat Florentino Perez in Sunday’s presidential election, went on Spanish TV on Wednesday and laid out his vision in the bluntest possible terms. Holding up the Haaland shirt, he declared: “He has a release clause and would like to join Real Madrid. If I become president, he will play for Real Madrid.”
That was the spark. The response from Haaland’s camp and from City was immediate and emphatic.
A joint statement from Haaland’s father and his agent knocked down the story before City added their own rejection. City’s line left no room for interpretation.
“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, this is no routine brush-off of transfer gossip. City are openly exploring legal options over what they see as an unauthorised use of one of the most valuable images in world football, wrapped inside a high-profile political pitch in Madrid.
Riquelme did not stop at Haaland. He also pledged to go after City’s midfield metronome Rodri, a player central to Pep Guardiola’s structure and widely regarded as one of the best in his position.
“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 cut straight to the heart of City’s irritation: their title-winning core being used as campaign material in another club’s internal election, presented as if deals were already there to be done.
The backdrop in Madrid is combustible. This is the first time in two decades that Perez has faced a serious challenge at the ballot box. After two seasons without a major trophy, discontent has grown inside the Santiago Bernabeu. The president called the vote himself, hoping to secure a fresh mandate and quiet the unrest in the stands.
Riquelme has sensed an opening and built his candidacy on bold promises and big gestures. His campaign has been laced with giveaways: a proposed “members’ city” for fans around the training base and a pledge to cut membership fees by up to 50% if Madrid fail to win the Champions League next season.
It is populist, high-stakes politics, dressed in white.
He has also positioned himself directly against one of Perez’s most contentious decisions: the move to bring Jose Mourinho back to the club. Mourinho’s appointment can only be formally ratified if Perez wins the election, and Riquelme has made clear he would take the team in a different direction.
That alternative vision appears to point towards Jurgen Klopp. Riquelme and his campaign team have repeatedly hinted that the former Liverpool manager is their preferred choice for the dugout. Speaking to The Athletic last month, Riquelme stopped short of a direct promise but left little doubt about the calibre he is chasing.
“Naturally, I would love for profiles of that calibre, and others like them, to coach this club,” he said.
So the stage is set. Just under 100,000 Real Madrid members will be eligible to vote on Sunday, 7 June. Perez remains the overwhelming favourite, the entrenched power with the institutional weight behind him. Riquelme is the insurgent, using the allure of Haaland, Rodri and Klopp to prise open the door.
For City, though, this is no mere sideshow in Spain. When a presidential hopeful waves your star striker’s name on a Madrid shirt and talks as if a release clause is ready to be triggered, it crosses a line. Their threat of legal action signals they are prepared to defend that line in court as well as on the pitch.
The ballot in Madrid will decide more than just who sits in the president’s office. It may also determine whether this flashpoint with Manchester City becomes an isolated campaign stunt or the opening act in a long, bitter tug-of-war over some of the game’s most prized assets.
