Rayo Vallecano's La Liga game against Athletic Club was suspended on Saturday after supporters turned the long-awaited return to Vallecas into a protest against the club's owner and president, Raul Martin Presa.
Goal reported that the match was stopped following aggressive protests from the home fans. What should have been a homecoming became a public trial of the club's leadership.
Stoppages from the 13th minute
The match had barely reached the 13th minute when the first wave of objects landed on the pitch and the referee halted play for the safety of the players. There were more stops and starts as club officials and police tried to regain control. By the 20th minute the stadium announcer warned that the game would be suspended if it continued.
The Bukaneros, Rayo's most vocal ultras, led chants demanding Presa's resignation. Paper planes and small balls covered the playing surface so the ball could not be moved safely. Oscar Valentin and Isi Palazon were seen going to the stands to ask for calm, but they were largely ignored.
A return that fans had waited for
The game was Rayo's first league match at their own ground this season. The regional administration had revoked the Estadio de Vallecas licence because of its "dilapidated and alleged unsafe condition", and the club had to play its home fixtures in nearby Leganes. Most of Rayo's fan base refused to go and demanded that the club fix the stadium rather than leave the neighbourhood.
The anger at Presa is not new. During a pre-season friendly against Cagliari the stadium was covered in graffiti reading "Presa, leave now", aimed at the presidential box. Supporters accuse the owner of a lack of investment and of letting the facilities deteriorate, and say the left-wing, community-focused soul of the club is being lost.
What happens next
Before kick-off, the regional minister for sports, Mariano de Paco, tried to calm the situation on social media. "Rayo will get the stadium it deserves. Have faith," he wrote. The reaction inside the ground suggests that faith has largely gone.
No confirmed ruling on whether or when the match will be completed had been reported at the time of writing, so the next word has to come from La Liga and the authorities. What is clear is that the dispute between the owner, the supporters and the authorities is far from settled, and the return to Vallecas has only made it louder.
Match context: Rayo Vallecano v Athletic Club, La Liga 2026/27, Estadio de Vallecas, Saturday 10 October 2026. Match suspended following supporter protests. First home league match of the season for Rayo. Source: Goal.com.
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