Calderon quits as Madrid boss
Güncelleme Tarihi:
The Associated Press
Oluşturulma Tarihi: Ocak 17, 2009 00:00
MADRID - Ramon Calderon resigned as Real Madrid president on Friday following a vote-rigging scandal.
Calderon told the club board he is stepping down and will officially announce his decision at a news conference Friday, where he will also call elections for a successor, a club official told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been made public.
Calderon's turbulent tenure came to an end after a Spanish newspaper reported that the 57-year-old lawyer had manipulated a general assembly vote - effectively a vote of confidence - in December.
Sports daily Marca reported Tuesday that Calderon's budget was only passed because his directors admitted nonmembers into the assembly and denied entry to about 200 real ones. Calderon won the tense assembly - where some of the 1,215 members called for his resignation - by 47 votes.
On Wednesday, Calderon insisted he knew nothing of the events and refused to resign, instead firing two close aides. A day later, Marca published photographs of Calderon and family members with several of the nonmembers that the newspaper had identified.
"I did what was ordered from above," said Mariano Rodriguez "Nanin," one of the fired aides.
Madrid vice president Vicente Boluda is expected to take over the president's duties until a successor is chosen at elections, which will be held at the end of the season.
Calderon has been dogged by scandal ever since he won the 2006 election by 200 votes over Juan Palacios - only because mailed-in ballots were not tallied.
Calderon won largely on the back of his failed promise to bring superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Cesc Fabregas to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Though Calderon's second year in office was marked by a second straight Spanish league title - Madrid's record 31st - and a profit of ¤51 million (then $65 million), a series of ill-timed public outbursts and a dip in the club's performances left him on the defensive throughout.
Calderon's turbulent tenure came to an end after a Spanish newspaper reported that the 57-year-old lawyer had manipulated a general assembly vote - effectively a vote of confidence - in December.
Sports daily Marca reported Tuesday that Calderon's budget was only passed because his directors admitted nonmembers into the assembly and denied entry to about 200 real ones. Calderon won the tense assembly - where some of the 1,215 members called for his resignation - by 47 votes.
On Wednesday, Calderon insisted he knew nothing of the events and refused to resign, instead firing two close aides. A day later, Marca published photographs of Calderon and family members with several of the nonmembers that the newspaper had identified.
"I did what was ordered from above," said Mariano Rodriguez "Nanin," one of the fired aides.
Madrid vice president Vicente Boluda is expected to take over the president's duties until a successor is chosen at elections, which will be held at the end of the season.
Calderon has been dogged by scandal ever since he won the 2006 election by 200 votes over Juan Palacios - only because mailed-in ballots were not tallied.
Calderon won largely on the back of his failed promise to bring superstars Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka and Cesc Fabregas to the Santiago Bernabeu.
Though Calderon's second year in office was marked by a second straight Spanish league title - Madrid's record 31st - and a profit of ¤51 million (then $65 million), a series of ill-timed public outbursts and a dip in the club's performances left him on the defensive throughout.