After being re-elected as Real Madrid's club president, Florentino Perez will no doubt be a busy man in the weeks and months to come, we explore 7 things that should come fairly high up on his to-do list.
Florentino Perez was re-elected on Monday after no alternative candidate came forward to oppose him. As the 70-year-old starts his 5th terms in charge of the La Liga giants, which will seem him through until 2021, we look at the pressing issues he must deal with.
The future of Cristiano Ronaldo
The short term priority. Real's summer got off to a rocky start when their star player was accused of tax fraud. Speculation has mounted that as a result of these accusations and the club's response to them, Ronaldo wants to quit the club, with the most recent reports saying that he has informed both Zinedine Zidane and Sergio Ramos of his decision. Despite this, Ronaldo is under contract in the Spanish Capital until 2021, after renewing his contract in November. Whether he stays or goes, the club needs to know so that they can respond accordingly.
Build the club around Zinedine Zidane
The Frenchman rode to the rescue 18 months ago after the departur of Rafa Benitez and quickly set about allaying any fears about whether he was up to the job. He went on to become the only manager in history to retain a Champions League title. Meanwhile, he also ended Real Madrid's 5 year La Liga title drought. Perez enjoys a good relationship with Zidane and will naturally look to keep him at the club by meeting his demands in the transfer market.
Defend their La Liga and Champions League titles
Next season could be make or break for Real, if they are able to successfully defend these two trophies and therefore make it 3 Champions League titles in a row and deprive rivals Barcelona of any domestic success, they may just manage to reassert themselves as Spain's top dogs once again.
Recruit the best, without forgetting about their own young talent
Whilst Real, especially under the watchful eye of Perez himself, have a reputation for stellar signings, they should keep one eye on the future. After spending big money on the likes of James and Bale in recent years, Perez i also said to be keeping an eye on Kylian Mbappe after his sensational season. However, he shoul not forget that Real harbour plenty of young talent themselves, including Marco Asensio, Nacho and Mateo Kovacic.
Get Castilla promoted back to La Segunda Division
Led by Santiago Scolari, Castilla fell short of mounting a serious promotion challenge last season. This season however could be a different story, after a period of investment in the reserve team and with the arrival of some interesting young players, Castilla will hope to go one better.
The new Santiago Bernabeu
The plan for the new stadium is slowly taking shape. The club want to improve the quaity of their infrastructure, the stadium's image and the fan's experience, with plans including a shopping centre and green spaces around the ground. A huge project that will no doubt cost a lot of money, it's impact could transcend the club as it contributes to the national and European economy.
Become the richest club in the world once more
KPMG's last study suggested that Real MAdrid had fallen behind Manchester United in the battle to be the richest club on the planet. It's a ranking that Florentino Perez will look at with great interest. The Real chief wants to improve Real's commercial impact overseas, particularly in territories where the Premier League dominates.