The fact that Rayo Vallecano will likely be unable to play its home games at its own stadium for months has drawn sharp criticism from the players. The club’s management was not spared either.
It was news that was hard for Rayo Vallecano to swallow. Last Tuesday, the Autonomous Community of Madrid announced that the club’s stadium license would be temporarily revoked to allow for urgent renovation work. Photos quickly began appearing on Spanish websites and social media showing the damaged infrastructure and veritable mountains of trash inside the stadium. It remains to be seen when Rayo will be allowed to play its home games at the Estadio de Vallecas again.
It’s not just the fans who are upset by the news—the players, led by their captain Oscar Valentin, have also given free rein to their frustration and released a joint statement expressing their desire and determination to continue playing in Vallecas.
The team makes it clear: “This could have been prevented”
“For all of us, playing at home in front of our fans is an essential part of what it means to wear this jersey. For many years, Rayo Vallecano fans have been denouncing the condition of our stadium with videos, photos, and numerous eyewitness accounts,” the statement read. “For too long, these warnings were ignored by the Autonomous Community of Madrid and Rayo Vallecano. Today, we are facing the consequences. A dilapidated stadium with outdated facilities and clearly inadequate maintenance has put us in a situation that should never have happened. Because this didn’t happen overnight. This could have been prevented.”
The team also expressed a desire for “stability and security,” “so that we can continue to compete and represent this crest with pride.” The team also addressed the fans who have suffered as a result: “We would be very happy if management and our relationship with them were to take a different course. We are a healthy and dedicated team—as we have proven time and again—that always keeps the common good in mind and ensures that the flame of Vallecas never goes out.”
Move to Leganés Under Discussion
Last season, Rayo celebrated the greatest success in the club’s history by reaching the Conference League final (0–1 loss to Crystal Palace). At the same time, the iconic club from Madrid’s Vallecas district narrowly missed out on another run in European competition, finishing eighth in the standings. For the first home games of the upcoming season, a move to the Estadio Municipal de Butarque in the Madrid suburb of Leganés is under discussion; the city’s second-division team also plays its home games there.