Rayo Vallecano

Rayo Vallecano

Full name	Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, SAD
Nickname(s)	Los Franjirrojos (The Red Sashes) Los Vallecanos (The Vallecans)
Founded	29 May 1924; 97 years ago (1924-05-29)
Ground	Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas, Puente de Vallecas, Madrid, Spain
Capacity	14,708[1]
Owner	Raúl Martín Presa
President	Raúl Martín Presa
Head coach	Andoni Iraola
League	La Liga
2020–21	Segunda División, 6th of 22 (promoted via playoffs)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈraʝo βaʎeˈkano ðe maˈðɾið]),^[a] often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish football team based in Madrid, in the neighbourhood of Vallecas. Rayo was founded on 29 May 1924, and currently compete in La Liga following promotion from the 2020–21 Segunda División. Home games are held at the 14,708-seater Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium.^[2]

Rayo has competed in one European competition, the UEFA Cup in the 2000–01 season. The club made it to the quarter-finals before losing to fellow Spanish club Alavés 4–2 on aggregate.

By historical standard, Rayo is the third best club in Community of Madrid, after Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.

History

Rayo Vallecano was founded on 29 May 1924 in the hometown of Prudencia Priego, wife of the club's first president Julián Huerta. Greatly inspired by River Plate (a Football club from Argentina), in 1949, after an agreement with Atlético Madrid, a red diagonal stripe was added to the team's kit, and the club reached Tercera División for the first time in its history.^[3]

One of the perennial yo-yo clubs of Spanish football, and always in the shadow of the two biggest clubs in the city (Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid), Rayo Vallecano spent many years during the 1980s and 1990s moving back and forth between La Liga and Segunda División. The 1983-84 season was the worst during the 1980s. The club finished in the last position in Segunda División and was relegated to Segunda División B.^[4] They appeared to have consolidated their top flight status after gaining promotion in 1999, and the team's most successful season came in 2000–01 when they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, going out only to eventual runners-up Alavés;^[5] Rayo finished ninth in the previous campaign, but entered the competition via the fair play draw.^[6]

First spells in the new Segunda Division and below

However, the club shortly thereafter fell on hard times, enduring successive relegations in 2003 and 2004. For 2005–06 manager Míchel, a Real Madrid legend in the 1980s and '90s, was hired.^[7]

Rayo finished the 2006–07 season in second place in Segunda División B, winning the promotion play-off semifinal but losing in the final to Eibar (1–2 aggregate).^[8] The following campaign, the team returned to division two after a four-year absence after a victorious run in the playoffs, disposing of Benidorm in the semi-final and Zamora in the last game 2–1 on aggregate.^[9]

A familiar sight in Segunda

In the first season back in the second tier of Spanish football, Rayo finished comfortably, often either in or just outside the promotion places. That same year, its women's team was crowned league champions for the first time, thereby qualifying for the UEFA Women's Champions League, but was eliminated 2–5 on aggregate in the round-of-32 by Russia's WFC Rossiyanka.

In 2010–11, Rayo Vallecano ranked in second position and returned to the top flight after an eight-year absence, only trailing champions Real Betis in spite of very serious economic problems.^[10][11][12] In late March 2012, in support of the 2011–12 Spanish protests, the squad decided to take one day off from training to join the demonstrations.^[13]

Branding abroad in the Americas

In August 2015, Rayo Vallecano purchased the majority of Oklahoma City FC, a NASL expansion franchise which had yet to officially play a game renaming the club to Rayo OKC, despite the stadium increasingly needing work. It was the first ever entry of a Spanish club into the American sports market and mirrored a 2013 sponsorship agreement with in terms of expanding the club's profile overseas.^[14][15] Rayo OKC folded after a year or so due to Rayo Vallecano's relegation from the Primera División and a dispute between the co-owners of Rayo OKC, led to less finance for the U.S. side.

Back in the second tier

In May 2016, Rayo Vallecano were relegated to the Segunda División, finishing 18th in the 2015–16 La Liga season. This ended their five-year streak in La Liga, their longest ever stay in the top-flight.^[16]

Rayo's first season back in Segunda División was a poor one, with both problems on the field and off, it led to them to finish in 12th position. Rayo went through 3 different managers in the 2016–17 Segunda División season and finally settling on club legend Míchel.^[17] He revived the club from the relegation places to 12th, almost making the playoffs.

At the start of the 2017–18 Segunda División season, the club appointed recently retired goalkeeper for Rayo - David Cobeño as the sporting director of the club.^[18] Rayo secured their return to the Primera Division with a 1-0 over Lugo on the 41st game of the season.^[19] That season the club won Segunda División with 76 points in 42 games.^[20]

Return to La Liga

In the 2018–19 La Liga Season, Rayo played city rivals Getafe in a South City derby and lost 2–1.^[21] Rayo almost achieved their best ever result eventually losing to Barcelona^[22] On 4 May 2019, Rayo was relegated back to the Segunda Division after losing 4–1 to Levante UD.^[23] In that season the club finished in the last, 20th position in La Liga.^[24]

2019–21 in Segunda División

The 2020–21 season, their second in the second tier, was one dominated by the restrictions due to Covid–19 coronavirus pandemic. In this, they climbed one place from the previous season to finish sixth after winning three of their last four games to claim the last playoff position for promotion to La Liga. They progressed to reach the Final against Girona. Despite losing the first leg at home 1–2, the team came back to win the second leg 0-2 in Girona to claim a place in La Liga for 2021–22.

Club background

• Agrupación Deportiva El Rayo (29 May 1924 – 13 November 1947)
• Agrupación Deportiva Rayo Vallecano (13 November 1947 – 1995)
• Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (1995 – Present)

N.B. Affiliate of Club Atlético de Madrid in 1949–50

Honours

National Titles

• Second Division (1): 2017-18
• Third Division (4): 1955-56, 1964–65, 1984–85, 2007-08

Regional Titles

• Workers Federation of Soccer (1): 1931-1932
• First Regional Division (1): 1948-1949
• Second Regional Division (1): 1940-1941
• Copa de Castilla (5): 1952-1953, 1967-1968, 1970-1971, 1972-1973, 1981-1982
• Madrid Cup (2): 1952-1953, 1966-1967
• Copa Ramón Triana (2): 1971-1972, 1973-1974

Season to season

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1940–41 5 2ª Reg. 2nd 1941–42 4 1ª Reg. 4th 1942–43 4 1ª Reg. 3rd 1943–44 4 1ª Reg. 7th 1944–45 5 2ª Reg. 2nd 1945–46 4 1ª Reg. 5th 1946–47 4 1ª Reg. 10th 1947–48 4 1ª Reg. 6th 1948–49 4 1ª Reg. 3rd 1949–50 3 3ª 14th 1950–51 3 3ª 13th 1951–52 3 3ª 9th 1952–53 3 3ª 7th 1953–54 3 3ª 17th 1954–55 3 3ª 2nd 1955–56 3 3ª 1st 1956–57 2 2ª 12th 1957–58 2 2ª 6th 1958–59 2 2ª 14th First round 1959–60 2 2ª 5th First round

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1960–61 2 2ª 16th First round 1961–62 3 3ª 3rd 1962–63 3 3ª 2nd 1963–64 3 3ª 3rd 1964–65 3 3ª 1st 1965–66 2 2ª 9th First round 1966–67 2 2ª 6th First round 1967–68 2 2ª 4th Round of 32 1968–69 2 2ª 9th 1969–70 2 2ª 6th Round of 32 1970–71 2 2ª 5th Round of 32 1971–72 2 2ª 8th Fourth round 1972–73 2 2ª 11th Third round 1973–74 2 2ª 14th Round of 16 1974–75 2 2ª 8th Fourth round 1975–76 2 2ª 9th Second round 1976–77 2 2ª 3rd Third round 1977–78 1 1ª 10th Third round 1978–79 1 1ª 15th Round of 16 1979–80 1 1ª 16th Quarter-finals

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 1980–81 2 2ª 5th Quarter-finals 1981–82 2 2ª 7th Semi-finals 1982–83 2 2ª 9th Round of 16 1983–84 2 2ª 20th Third round 1984–85 3 2ª B 1st Third round 1985–86 2 2ª 15th Fourth round 1986–87 2 2ª 5th First round 1987–88 2 2ª 5th Round of 32 1988–89 2 2ª 2nd First round 1989–90 1 1ª 20th Second round 1990–91 2 2ª 11th Fifth round 1991–92 2 2ª 2nd Fourth round 1992–93 1 1ª 14th Fourth round 1993–94 1 1ª 17th Fourth round 1994–95 2 2ª 2nd Quarter-finals 1995–96 1 1ª 19th Third round 1996–97 1 1ª 18th Quarter-finals 1997–98 2 2ª 8th Second round 1998–99 2 2ª 5th First round 1999–2000 1 1ª 9th Quarter-finals

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 2000–01 1 1ª 14th Round of 16 2001–02 1 1ª 11th Quarter-finals 2002–03 1 1ª 20th Round of 64 2003–04 2 2ª 21st Round of 64 2004–05 3 2ª B 3rd Round of 64 2005–06 3 2ª B 5th Third round 2006–07 3 2ª B 2nd Round of 16 2007–08 3 2ª B 1st Third round 2008–09 2 2ª 5th Round of 32 2009–10 2 2ª 11th Round of 16 2010–11 2 2ª 2nd Third round 2011–12 1 1ª 15th Round of 32 2012–13 1 1ª 8th Round of 32 2013–14 1 1ª 12th Round of 16 2014–15 1 1ª 11th Round of 32 2015–16 1 1ª 18th Round of 16 2016–17 2 2ª 12th Third round 2017–18 2 2ª 1st Second round 2018–19 1 1ª 20th Round of 32 2019–20 2 2ª 7th Round of 16

Season Tier Division Place Copa del Rey 2020–21 2 2ª 6th Round of 16 2021–22 1 1ª

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• 19 seasons in La Liga
• 35 seasons in Segunda División
• 5 seasons in Segunda División B
• 11 seasons in Tercera División (third level before 1977–78)

European history

Season	Round	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2000–01 UEFA Cup	Qualifying round	Constel·lació Esportiva	6–0	10–0	16–0
	First round	Molde	1–1	1–0	2–1
	Second round	Viborg	1–0	1–2	2–2 (a)
	Third round	Lokomotiv Moscow	2–0	0–0	2–0
	Fourth round	Bordeaux	4–1	2–1	6–2
	Quarter-finals	Alavés	2–1	0–3	2–4

Current squad

As of 5 September 2021^[25]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  FRA Luca Zidane 2 DF  SRB Nikola Maraš (on loan from Almería) 4 MF  ESP Mario Suárez (3rd captain) 5 DF  ESP Alejandro Catena 6 MF  ESP Santi Comesaña (vice-captain) 7 FW  ESP Isi Palazón 8 FW  ARG Óscar Trejo (captain) 9 MF  FRA Randy Nteka 10 MF  POR Bebé 11 FW  ESP Andrés Martín 12 MF  ESP Unai López 13 GK  MKD Stole Dimitrievski 14 FW  MAR Yacine Qasmi 15 FW  ESP Sergi Guardiola (on loan from Valladolid)

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 FW  COL Radamel Falcao 17 MF  ESP Martín Merquelanz (on loan from Real Sociedad) 18 MF  ESP Álvaro García 19 DF  POR Kévin Rodrigues (on loan from Real Sociedad) 20 DF  ALB Iván Balliu 21 MF  SEN Pathé Ciss 22 MF  ESP José Ángel Pozo 23 MF  ESP Óscar Valentín 24 DF  MNE Esteban Saveljich 25 GK  COL Iván Arboleda 29 FW  ESP Sergio Moreno 32 DF  ESP Mario Hernández 33 DF  ESP Fran García

Reserve team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 27 DF  ESP Iker Recio

No. Pos. Nation Player 28 DF  ESP

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ESP Miguel Morro (on loan to Fuenlabrada until 30 June 2022) — DF  ESP Martín Pascual (on loan to Villarreal B until 30 June 2022)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ESP Joni Montiel (on loan to Oviedo until 30 June 2022) — FW  GUI Lass Bangoura (on loan to Emelec until 31 December 2021)

Current technical staff

Position	Staff
Manager	Andoni Iraola
Assistant manager	Unai Mendía
Fitness coach	Pablo de la Torre
Fitness coach	Miguel García
Goalkeeping coach	Pedro Moncayo
Analyst	Óscar Díaz

Notable former players

Note: this list includes players that have played at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

Ildefons Lima Francisco Cerro Franco Di Santo Alejandro Domínguez Leonel Galeano Paulo Gazzaniga Sebastián Saja Aras Özbiliz Manucho Toni Polster Elvir Baljić Elvir Bolić Guilherme Jorge Valdivia Fernando Vergara Zhang Chengdong Johan Mojica Hernán Medford Stjepan Andrijašević Gaël Kakuta Søren Andersen Nicki Bille Laurie Cunningham Sergio Akieme Iván Zarandona Derek Boateng Lass Bangoura

Idan Tal Ousseynou Cissé Javier Aquino Nery Castillo Guillermo Mendizábal Hugo Sánchez Andrija Delibašić Dave van den Bergh Uche Agbo Wilfred Agbonavbare Stole Dimitrievski Jan Berg Luis Advíncula Christian Cueva Licá Paulo Torres Zé Castro Răzvan Raț Viktor Onopko Abdoulaye Ba Mohamed Diamé Ivan Tomić Josip Višnjić Miguel Albiol Antonio Amaya Gregorio Benito Bolo

Raúl Bravo Antonio Calderón Rubén Cano Luis Cembranos David Cobeño Coke Juan José Collantes Pedro Contreras Diego Costa Ramón de Quintana Adri Embarba Felines Patxi Ferreira Javi Fuego Ricardo Gallego Antonio García Navajas Antonio Guzmán Pablo Hernández Carlos Llorens Diego Llorente Julen Lopetegui Míchel Michu José María Movilla Juan Muñiz Álvaro Negredo Saúl Ñíguez

Pepín Roberto Peragón Piti Abel Resino Onésimo Sánchez Pablo Sanz Mario Suárez Raúl Tamudo Roberto Trashorras Toni Jiménez José Luis Veloso Roman Zozulya Kasey Keller Sebastián Fernández Álvaro Gutiérrez Josemir Lujambio Fernando Morena Emiliano Velázquez Julio Álvarez Dani Hernández Miku Daniel Noriega

Coaches

Dates Name 1944–46 Cayetano Sardinero 1946–47 Julián Antón 1947–48 Luis Pérez 1948–49 Tomás Rodríguez Rubio 1949–50 Ramón de la Fuente 1950–51 Anselmo Nogales 1951–52 Félix Huete 1952–53 1954–55 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–58 1958 1958–59 1959 Heriberto Herrera 1959–60 1960 1960–61 1961 1961 Joseíto 1961–64 Herrero 1964–67 July 1967–June 69 July 1969–Feb 71 Feb 1971–Jun 72 Enrique Orizaola

Dates Name Jul 1972–Jan 73 Jan 1973–Jun 1974 Jun 1974–Jun 1975 Héctor Núñez Jun 1975–Feb 1976 Alfredo Di Stéfano Feb 1976–Jun 1976 Jul 1976–Jun 1977 García Verdugo Jun 1977–Jun 1978 Héctor Núñez Jul 1978–Jun 1979 Eduardo González Jun 1979–Feb 1980 Héctor Núñez Feb 1980–Jun 1980 Rafael Iriondo Jun 1980–Dec 1981 Eduardo González Dec 1981–Jun 1982 Jun 1982–Jun 1983 Jul 1983–Nov 1983 Máximo Hernández Nov 1983–Jun 1984 Antonio Ruiz 1984–85 1985–87 Héctor Núñez Jul 1987–Jan 1990 Felines Jan 1990–Jun 1990 Emilio Cruz Jul 1990–Feb 1992 Eusebio Ríos Feb 1992–Jun 1993 José Antonio Camacho Jul 1993–Nov 1993 Felines Nov 1993–Feb 1994 Feb 1994–Nov 1994 David Vidal Nov 1994–Jun 1995 Paquito Jun 1995–Oct 1995 Pedro Mari Zabalza

Dates Name Oct 1995–Apr 1996 Marcos Alonso July 1996–Feb 1997 Paquito Feb 1997–Mar 1997 Fernando Zambrano Mar 1997–Jun 1997 Máximo Hernández 1997–98 Josu Ortuondo Jul 1998 – Jun 2001 Juande Ramos Jul 2001–Oct 2001 Andoni Goikoetxea Oct 2001–Jun 2002 Gregorio Manzano July 2002–Jan 2003 Fernando Vázquez Feb 2003–Apr 2003 Gustavo Benítez Apr 2003–Jun 2003 Antonio Iriondo Jun 2003–Nov 2003 Julen Lopetegui Nov 2003–Feb 2004 Jorge D'Alessandro Feb 2004–Jun 2004 Txetxu Rojo Jun 2004–Jun 2005 Carlos Orúe Jul 2005 – Jun 2006 Míchel Jun 2006–Feb 2010 Pepe Mel Feb 2010–Jun 2010 Felipe Miñambres Jul 2010 – Jun 2012 José Ramón Sandoval Jul 2012–May 2016 Paco Jémez Jun 2016–Nov 2016 José Ramón Sandoval Nov 2016– Feb 2017 Rubén Baraja Feb 2017–Mar 2019 Míchel Mar 2019–Aug 2020 Paco Jémez Aug 2020- Andoni Iraola

Club presidents

Dates Name 1924–26 1926–27 1927–28 1929–30 1930–31 1931–36

Dates Name 1939–43 1943–46 1946–48 1948–55 1955–58 1958–61

Dates Name 1961–65 1965–73 1973–78 1978–80 1980–81 1981–89

Dates Name 1989–91 1991–94 José María Ruiz Mateos 1994–2011 2011–

Stadium

Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas is a football stadium located on Calle Payaso Fofó 1, Vallecas. Opened on 10 May 1976, at first it was called "New Stadium Vallecas", but in January 2004, 13 years after the arrival of the Ruiz-Mateos family in 1991, it changed denominations, as the wife was also named by her husband, businessman José María, the first woman president of an elite football team.

It has a capacity of 14,708 spectators in an all-seated format, and dimensions of 102×64 m. Additionally, one of the goal ends does not have a grandstand, just a big wall with information panels.

In June 2009, the club announced plans for the construction of a new stadium.

Anthem

Although most people recognise the supporting songs by ska-punk band Ska-P (Rayo Vallecano and Como un rayo), Rayo Vallecano has an official anthem which played at their home stadium before matches.

Miscellaneous info

• Rayo Vallecano was Laurie Cunningham's last club – he was killed in a car crash just outside Madrid in 1989, after a sole season. He had recently won an F.A. Cup winners medal with Wimbledon F.C. in England the previous year. He also had represented neighbours Real Madrid for four years.
• Spanish anti-fascist band Ska-P are outspoken supporters of the club and have dedicated two songs to it, named Como un Rayo and Rayo Vallecano.
• In March 2014, Huawei agreed to sponsor Rayo Vallecano for two league matches against Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.^[26]
• In 2014, 85-year-old Vallecas resident Carmen Martínez Ayuso was evicted from her house after living there since the 1960s. Rayo Vallecano and particularly coach Paco Jémez were touched by her story, and subsequently offered to fund Martínez for the foreseeable future.^[27]
• Rayo's players are often involved in charity work, one instance of this is that the then club captain Roberto Trashorras, amongst other players, regularly helps out at a homeless shelter.

Club culture and support

Rayo's ultras, the Bukaneros, are known for their left-wing views and often display political messages and other protests, mainly against the commercialisation of football. Rayo's ultras often display anti-racism and anti-fascist messages, however, are often ostracised by the government because they are branded as an ultras, this occurred following the death of Deportivo La Coruña fan known as 'Jimmy' who died following clashes between fans, with the Bukaneros not involved at all in the clashes.

The club is known for being the last local neighbourhood club in Spain, with the club representing the barrio and its working-class status.

The club is also known for chanting the song "La Vida Pirata" or in English "The Pirate Life" (a song about pirates, which the Bukaneros are named after).

Spanish:

La vida pirata es la vida mejor (bis)

sin trabajar (bis)

Sin estudiar (bis)

Con la botella de ron (bis)

Soy capitán (bis)

del Santa Inés (bis)

Y en cada puerto tengo una mujer (bis)

La rubia es (bis)

Fenomenal (bis)

Y la morena tampoco esta mal (bis)

Las inglesas con su seriedad (bis)

Y las francesas que todo lo dan (bis)

Si alguna vez (bis)

Me he de casar (bis)

Me he de casar (bis)

Con la del Rayo, una, una y nada más (bis).

English:

''The pirate life is the best life (bis)

without working (bis)

without studying (bis)

With the bottle of rum (bis)

I am captain (bis)

of the "Santa Inés"' (bis)

and in each port, I have a woman (bis)

the blonde is (bis)

phenomenal (bis)

and the brunette is not bad either (bis)

The English women with their seriousness (bis)

And the French women who give everything (bis)

If ever (bis)

I have to marry (bis)

I have to marry (bis)

with the one of Rayo, one, one and no more (bis).''

Notes

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rayo Vallecano.

• Official website (in Spanish)
• Official Radio website (in Spanish)
• Official Community VK (in Russian)
• Futbolme team profile (in Spanish)
• BDFutbol team profile
• Pasión por el Rayo – Non official Website - Rayo Vallecano News (in Spanish)
• Rayo Herald – Updated club info (in Spanish)