Rafael Nadal set to join Real Madrid board of directors

Tennis great Rafael Nadal is set to join the board of Spanish football giants Real Madrid. The club's members will be asked to approve the appointment of the 40-year-old at a meeting later this month. In a statement announcing the move, Real 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". The club added: "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." Nadal, a boyhood Real fan who holds membership number 67,778, responded to the news with a photograph of himself as a child wearing a club kit. "I want to thank president Florentino Perez and the board for proposing that I join the board of directors of Real Madrid," he said in a post on X. "I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can." It is currently unclear what responsibilities Nadal would hold on the club's board. He retired from tennis in 2024 after winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles, two Olympic gold medals and helping Spain claim five Davis Cups. Perez was re-elected for a new four-year term as Real president in June, having held the office since 2009. He swiftly appointed Jose Mourinho for a second spell as head coach, hoping to improve the club's fortunes after they went a second season without winning La Liga, the Champions League or the Copa del Rey. Real are currently third in La Liga after 11 games, three points behind defending champions Barcelona.