Calderon is elected president of Real Madrid

REAL MADRID yesterday announced Ramon Calderon winner of the presidential elections at the club. Calderon received 8,344 votes, while Juan Palacios was second with 8,098.

The presidency has been in question since the end of Florentino Perez’s six-year tenure in February, when he resigned as he felt the club needed a new direction. Vice-president Fernando Martin was immediately promoted to replace him, but his stint as president lasted only two months before he too resigned.

Luis Gomez-Montejano, being the eldest board member, was then put in charge on an interim basis until Sunday’s elections.

Calderon’s chief task as the new Real supremo will be to make sure the team start winning trophies again. Real – arguably the biggest club in the world – have not claimed any major silverware since clinching the league title in 2003.

Calderon told voters of his intention to bring former manager Fabio Capello back to the Bernabeu. Capello, the current Juventus coach, led Real to the Spanish title in the 1996-97 campaign. He has also spoken brazenly of recruiting AC Milan superstar Kaka, Arsenal youngster Cesc Fabregas and Holland’s Arjen Robben of Chelsea to the club.