Reports: Real president Calderon to resign
Reuters - Thursday 15 January 2009, 22:27
MADRID - Real Madrid president Ramon
Calderon will step down on Friday following newspaper
allegations of irregularities at the club's general assembly
last month, Spanish media reported on Thursday.
The reports said Calderon, who has denied any wrongdoing,
was pushed into resigning by several members of the Real
management board and would be replaced by Vicente Boluda, one of
the club's vice presidents.
Asked about the reports, which did not identify any sources,
a Real Madrid spokesman said the club had no immediate comment.
The AS newspaper said the board would meet at midday on
Friday to analyse the situation and some members wanted fresh
elections to be held, possibly on May 24.
Calderon, 57, has been under pressure since Marca reported
this week that unauthorised persons gained access to the club's
assembly on December 7 and their presence had helped swing votes on
key issues in favour of the management.
At a news conference called to address the allegations on
Wednesday, Calderon said two Real officials involved in
organising the assembly had resigned and he would probably not
stand for re-election when his four-year mandate ended in 2010.
He ruled out stepping down immediately and insisted neither
he nor any other member of the management board were involved in
any irregularities.
"None of us participated either directly or indirectly in
these acts," he said. "We did not do anything. We are victims."
FAILED BIDS
Real have won back-to-back Primera Liga titles but Calderon
has still been criticised by fans and local media since taking
over in 2006, often for failed bids to bring in high-profile
players.
His woes have sparked speculation that former president
Florentino Perez may be planning a comeback.
Perez resigned in 2006 after his six-year experiment in
assembling a "galactico" super team collapsed as the club headed
for a third successive season without a major trophy, their
worst run in more than 50 years.
Calderon has been unable to make good on a pledge to bring
Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas and AC Milan's Brazilian
playmaker Kaka to the club and his attempt to lure Manchester
United winger Cristiano Ronaldo also ended in failure.