Remarkable, ramshackle Rayo chasing Conference League dream amid chaos
After a quarter of a century away from European football, the prospect of modest Spanish side Rayo Vallecano making their first ever final must rank as one of the season's bigger surprises. They may be midtable in La Liga but humble Rayo, from the working class neighbourhood of Vallecas in the southeast of the Spanish capital, are a far cry from their illustrious neighbours Real Madrid and Atletico: they are usually more concerned with survival than European finals.
Rayo Vallecano are a dysfunctional club but they have the chance to reach their first ever European final (Thomas COEX) After a quarter of a century away from European football, the prospect of modest Spanish side Rayo Vallecano making their first ever final must rank as one of the season's bigger surprises. When the extreme conditions they are operating under are factored in, it is nothing short of remarkable they have reached the Conference League final four, hosting Ligue 1 team Strasbourg on Thursday in the first leg. They may be midtable in La Liga but humble Rayo, from the working class neighbourhood of Vallecas in the southeast of the Spanish capital, are a far cry from their illustrious neighbours Real Madrid and Atletico: they are usually more concerned with survival than European finals.
And avoiding relegation is not the only tussle they tend to engage in. The fans -- and to some extent the players and staff -- are fighting an internal battle against their deeply unpopular, some would say reviled, president and owner Raul Martin Presa. The Rayo chief wants to uproot the team from its home stadium, kept in a filthy and decrepit state perhaps in order to get his way, and engages in a running row with supporters he has described as "drunken and brainless".
Their 3-0 La Liga victory over Atletico Madrid in February captured the dysfunctional club in a microcosm -- fighting against the odds and themselves. In the build-up Rayo players and staff had publicly complained about the state of their pitch and run-down training facilities, and the game was moved to Leganes's stadium. Only 5,000 fans travelled, with many refusing in protest at the owner, whom they chant about regularly, calling for his departure.
In 2023 Oscar Trejo resigned as the team's captain in disgust at conditions at the club, the abysmal facilities, the terrible treatment of staff and supporters alike. Sometimes there is no hot water in the showers for the players; often there is no water at all in the public toilets. In pre-season, players were forced to practise elsewhere because of a fungal infection of the grass at their training ground.
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