Iconic tennis superstar Rafael Nadal is poised to join the board of directors at Spanish football powerhouse Real Madrid.
Prior to stepping away from professional sport in 2024, Nadal accumulated 22 Grand Slam titles, earned two Olympic gold medals, and guided Spain to five Davis Cup victories.
Club members are scheduled to vote on confirming the 40-year-old’s appointment during an upcoming assembly later this month.
In a formal announcement detailing the decision, external, the team described Nadal as “one of the greatest legends in the history of sport and one of the most admired and recognised Spanish athletes in the world”.
“It is a great source of pride that a figure of his sporting and human stature, a benchmark of Spanish and world sport, will become part of our board of directors and contribute, from this position of responsibility, to the present and future of our club,” Real added.
The tennis icon—a lifelong supporter of Real who holds official member number 67,778—shared a throwback image of himself wearing the team’s kit as a young boy alongside his response.
“I want to thank president Florentino Perez and the board for proposing that I join the board of directors of Real Madrid,” Nadal stated in a post published on X, external.
“I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can.”
At present, the specific duties Nadal will undertake within the directorship have not been detailed.
Perez won another four-year term to remain as Real’s president back in June, having continuously held the position since 2009.
He quickly named Jose Mourinho for a second spell as manager, seeking to revive the team’s success after a second straight season ended without securing silverware in La Liga, the Champions League, or the Copa del Rey.
Real currently sit in third position in the league standings after 11 matches, trailing reigning champions Barcelona by three points.
