Tennis legend Rafael Nadal has joined the board of directors at LaLiga giants Real Madrid.
The 22-time Grand Slam-winning Spaniard already serves as an honorary member of the club and his new position on the board has been described as a “great source of pride” for Real Madrid.
“His figure represents much more than his successes: his talent, his constant drive to improve, his capacity for sacrifice, his competitiveness, his humility, his respect for rivals and teammates, and his commitment to solidarity make him an example both on and off the court,” the club said.
“All these values are part of Real Madrid’s identity and Rafael Nadal has represented and defended them throughout his sporting life, becoming a role model for millions of people around the world.”
Nadal thanked “president Florentino Perez and the Board for proposing that I join the board of directors of Real Madrid” on X.
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SUBSCRIBE HERE“I have accepted this proposal with great excitement, a desire to learn, and a willingness to contribute everything I can,” he added.
Nadal hits (back of the) net
Nadal won 92 individual titles across his career including two Olympic gold medals and a total of 22 Grand Slams. He is seen as one of the Big Three alongside Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer.
The club has been embroiled in a row with China after star player Kylian Mbappe joked about a meme depicting him as Chairman Mao and describing the former leader as a “dictator”.
“The board of directors of Real Madrid CF meeting has agreed to submit to the general assembly of delegate members the ratification of the appointment of Rafael Nadal Parera, member number 67,778 of our club, as a new member of the board of directors,” the club said in a statement on Wednesday.
Real Madrid is a member-owned club, alongside fellow Spanish galacticos Barcelona, and has around 100,000 members. It holds elections every four years with presidential candidates needing to hold 20 years of continuous membership to qualify.
The club is widely seen as the most valuable football club in the world.