Real president to call early elections

Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon, accused of rigging the club’s last annual general assembly, may finally remain in his post until early elections in June, several Spanish newspapers reported Friday.

Spanish media had reported late on Thursday that the 57-year-old lawyer would resign on Friday after sports daily Marca reported earlier this week that unauthorised people had voted during the club’s general assembly on December 7.

Calderon, whose four-year mandate expires in 2010, has denied any wrongdoing. The assembly voted by a small margin to approve the accounts of the club — the world’s richest football club — for 2008 and 2009.

Sports daily AS reported Friday that Calderon “has accepted announcing elections for June but refuses to step down unless the management board forces him to do so” while Marca said he had told the board that he would not “leave like a thief”.

Top-selling daily newspaper El Pais meanwhile said Calderon was struggling with the pressure and was hesitating between quiting and calling early elections.

Real’s management board was meeting on Friday morning at Calderon’s request and an announcement regarding his future at the club is expected after it wraps up.

On Wednesday Calderon said he had fired two of his close aides over the affair but he rejected calls that he step down, saying he had done nothing wrong.

“Quitting is for cowards. Leaving would not fix anything, it would leave a void and force the club to call elections,” he told a news conference.

The crisis over the general assembly comes as Real has started to close the gap with its arch rivals Barcelona since Juande Ramos was made coach in December and are preparing to face Liverpool in the Champions League knockout stages in February and March.

While the defending Spanish champions are in second place, they still trail the Catalan side in the Spanish league by 12 points.

Real face Osasuna at home on Sunday in the Spanish league.