JUNE 13, 2006

Fernando for Real

Real Madrid is a sports club - famous around the world for its soccer team - but also involved in basketball and other activities. The soccer team has been hugely successful but has failed to win a major title since 2003 and there has been a string of different managers. In February this year Real Madrid president Florentino Perez resigned. His replacement was Fernando Mart’n Alvarez but he lasted just a couple of months and now the club is in the process of electing a new president. There seem to be three major candidates: Ramon Calderon, Juan Miguel Villar Mir, and Juan Palacios. As they campaign to win the votes of the 75,000 club members, the candidates are each trying to make a good impression. Villar Mir, for example, has the support of Carlos Sainz, Spain's celebrated rallying star, while Palacios says that if he wins the club will sign up Fernando Alonso as an ambassador and will have Real Madrid stickers on Fernando's car. The election takes place on July 2.