Rayo Vallecano hits out at playing in Leganés: “It could mean relegation”

Rayo Vallecano has raised its voice again. The Madrid club issued a new statement on Thursday expressing its opposition to playing Saturday's match against Racing de Santander at the Estadio Ontime Butarque in Leganés instead of at Vallecas. This is the second time this season that the club has been forced to play a home game away from its neighbourhood, a situation the institution describes as an outrage and one that has led to a stronger tone in its public protest.

Rayo denounces a triple blow from not playing at Vallecas

The statement breaks down the damage that, in the board's view, comes from not being able to open the doors of its own stadium. First, it highlights the unnecessary harm done to its supporters. Second, it points to the economic impact suffered by an area like Vallecas on matchday, with hundreds of businesses, bars and shops relying on the activity generated by every home fixture. Third, it mentions the double sporting and identity setback endured by the club itself.

It is an outrage not to be able to play a match at the Estadio de Vallecas for the second time this season.

“Catastrophic” sporting consequences for survival hopes

Rayo Vallecano does not hold back in its statement. The club describes the decision to move the match to Butarque as catastrophic and analyses it from two angles. On one side, the financial cost of moving a fixture of this nature to Leganés. On the other, the sporting damage, which it considers even more serious: the club believes that not playing home matches at Vallecas increases the probability of dropping points and that losing those points over the course of the season could ultimately result in relegation.

Relegation, the club recalls, would bring with it sporting, economic, social and reputational damage for an institution with more than a century of history. Fighting near the top of the table with ambitions of returning to La Liga, Rayo sees a home venue change like this not as a simple logistical setback but as a genuine threat to its goals.

Direct criticism aimed at the Community of Madrid

The statement also includes a direct message to the regional administration. Rayo Vallecano says it has still received no response regarding its request to lift the precautionary measure that keeps the Estadio de Vallecas closed for this type of event. The club insists that the alleged grounds on which that measure was based no longer exist, which is why it believes the situation should already have been resolved in its favour.

Meanwhile, the club has had to activate its ticket sales plan for the match against Racing de Santander with home advantage moved to Leganés. Season ticket holders can collect their tickets from this evening at the Estadio de Vallecas ticket offices and throughout Friday. For non-season ticket holders, tickets go on sale today and tomorrow at a price of 45 euros.

High-risk fixture means no ticket offices on Saturday

One important operational detail is that the match has been classified as high risk. That means no tickets can be handed out or sold at the stadium ticket offices on Saturday, the day of the game. The club's recommendation is clear: anyone wanting to attend must sort out their ticket beforehand, through the channels available on Thursday and Friday.

Rayo's fanbase, known for its loyalty and for turning Vallecas into a fortress, will have to make an extra effort to support the team in a short but symbolic trip. A second visit of the season to Butarque as the venue for Rayo's home games does not sit well with either the board or a support that feels the team loses an essential part of its identity whenever it does not play at home.

What is at stake for Rayo Vallecano against Racing de Santander

Beyond the institutional unrest, the fixture against Racing de Santander has a purely sporting side. Rayo Vallecano is fighting to stay in the upper part of the table, with every home point proving decisive for finishing the season with options of direct promotion or, at the very least, a playoff spot. Dropping points away from Vallecas could come at a huge cost in the final standings.

Racing de Santander, for its part, arrives with the intention of springing a surprise and picking up points on the road, fully aware of the difficulties the hosts are having with their home venue. The match looks like a test of maturity for a Rayo side forced to perform in a setting that does not feel like its own.

Frequently asked questions about Rayo Vallecano and the match in Leganés