Rafael Nadal has come forth with an interesting desire. This would certainly not be the first time a sports star or celebrity has announced his intention of owning a great football club. In 2022, both Serena William (a twenty-three Grand Slam winner and tennis legend) and Sir Lewis Hamilton (a Formula One star, he has won a joint-record seven World Driver Championship titles) joined in the bid to own Chelsea.
Also, In December 2022, American award winning actor Michael B. Jordan invested with Premier League club Bournemouth, after seeing the success of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. Following suit, the King of Clay too has put forward his dreams to own the biggest club in history.
Nadal hints at desire to take charge of Real Madrid in the future
Rafael Nadal made his intentions known about being the president of Real Madrid in an interview with Movistar.
“I don’t know. I promise that it’s not always been a dream of mine. But if you ask me if I’d like to be Real Madrid chairman, I think I would. But first of all, we’ve got the best possible president at the moment,” Rafael Nadal said.
“On top of that, how I feel today might not be how I feel tomorrow. And then you never know what can happen in life,” he added.
“You have to know if you are capable of doing that type of thing. I’m quite realistic with myself. I more or less know my limitations. I don’t know if I’d be capable of doing it or not. Anyway, time will tell.”
“I haven’t asked (Perez) about it. I think you (the media) get carried away. I don’t think I fulfill the requirement to be president,” Nadal concluded.
Real Madrid’s laws set out a strict set of criteria needed to assume the presidency, which include having been a member for 20 years, being able to personally guarantee 15% of the club’s annual budget, and holding Spanish nationality.
Nadal has been an honorary member of Real Madrid since 2011. Since Florentino Perez’s return to the presidency in 2009, he has been re-elected unopposed in 2013, 2017, and 2021.
Rafael Nadal was asked if he would welcome Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe to the club after they missed out on his signing in the summer window.
“Another forward would be good. I don’t have a problem with Mbappe, quite the opposite. I’d be happy if he came. He didn’t have the obligation to come to Madrid when the fans wanted him to,” Nadal said.
Rafael Nadal drops hint at returning to Tennis
Rafael Nadal, 37, sustained an injury during the 2023 Australian Open in January and has been sidelined since then with no confirmed return date.
Following surgery in June, the twenty-two-time Grand Slam winner has missed the Roland Garros, a tournament he has won an impressive 14 times, as well as Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Toni Nadal, Rafael Nadal’s coach and Uncle has been providing updates of a comeback in the 2024 Australian Open, the same tournament where Nadal was injured. Despite Rafael Nadal’s eagerness to return to the court he has made it clear that he is not returning with the expectation of winning major titles.
“Yes I would like to play again and compete but the dream is not to come back and win Roland Garros or Australian so that people don’t get confused, right?” Naval said.
“I am very aware that at the time I am in my life, all that is very far away, right? And I don’t say it’s impossible because in the end, I say things, I have said it a thousand times, all things in sport, they change very quickly,” he added.
Rafael Nadal also expressed his objective of retiring in 2024, “I said that possibly 2024 was my last year. I maintain that but I can not confirm it 100% because I do not know,” The twenty-two Grand Slam winner said.
As Tennis fans anticipate Nadal’s return to the court, their are still hopes that he will retire with a major title, considering that he has been sidelined for four and half years of his career. Perhaps, if he was always fit to compete in the court, he would have had more than twenty-two Grand Slam in his trophy cabinet.
