Vallecas Stadium

Yeah, this was the latest flashpoint, you'd say, in a really long running dispute between Rayo Vallecano supporters and the club's president, Raul Martin Presa.

The key issue really is the condition of Rayo's home ground, the Vallecas Stadium.

It's awful.

The toilets are disgusting.

And finally, Rayo Vallecano's match against Athletic Club was abandoned on Saturday after the home fans threw paper planes and rubber balls onto the pitch in protest against the club's owner.

The La Liga game was Rayo's first of the season at the Estadio de Vallecas, which had been temporarily closed after an audit highlighted serious health and safety issues.

Rayo fans blame owner and president Raul Martín Presa, who's long been criticised for the poor upkeeper facilities and the failure to modernise the club.

In the 13th minute of the game, when Rayo fans usually chant Presa, leave now, supporters threw paper planes and small rubber balls onto the pitch.

No, I, I have to, uh, agree with everything you've said there, and I think the real test will come in those upcoming, uh, Champions League games as well to really put a marker down as to where Barcelona will be aiming for this season.

Um, away from, uh, Catalonia at the moment and maybe just to quickly touch on the, um, happenings at Vallecas.

Obviously, um, Real Vallecano back at their home stadium for the first time this season and it didn't quite go to certainly press as planned.

It, it may have gone to the, uh, the Ultras fans.

So there is nothing to say this couldn't happen again multiple times.

And then I think La Liga would have to step in and I think the, the answer would be ironically playing behind closed doors.

Yes, you're at Vallecas, but what the soul of the comunidad, the barrio, that would, would be lost because they'd have to play behind closed doors because otherwise they'd be, you know, docked points or charged or whatever.

But I think to be honest, the fans are at the point now where none of that matters.

After play resumed, the incidents happened again, and the referee decided to abandon the match permanently.

It was Rayo's first home game at the Vallecas Stadium this season after the team had been forced to play at Butarque in Leganes because of the poor condition of the pitch.

The fans were protesting the way the situation had been handled by the club's management, but their discontent will most likely turn into three points lost by their team.

Winner; Brommapojkarna.

We'll have a quick break there.

When we come back, we'll talk about all of Sunday's action, plus Friday night drama and Saturday lunchtime drama involving paper aeroplanes at Vallecas.

Join us in a minute.

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Welcome back to La Liga Lowdown, our Matchday 8 recap.

Rayo were delighted to be back at Vallecas after so long away, with the ground being unfit and declared by the Comunidad that they were unable to play there.

This would have been their first game back.

For the ones who get it done.

In a dramatic escalation of long-standing institutional friction, the La Liga fixture between Rayo Vallegno and Athletic Club at the Estadio de Vallecas was forced into a total standstill following coordinated supporter protests.

What was supposed to be a triumphant return to their home stadium quickly descended into chaos as paper airplanes, tennis balls, and various thrown objects littered the playing surface.

forcing the match referee to intervene and temporarily suspend play early in the first half.

Which is a pity, isn't it? Because I quite admire them and I want them to do well.

All right, there's a big game on Saturday in Vallecas.

It's Rayo against Athletic Club.

Rayo returning to Vallecas having not played their first three matches of the season there.

Athletic always bring a load of fans there.

It's going to be sold out.

Well, Spain travel to Split to play Croatia, and, uh, that'll be covered in our midweek bonus.

Uh, but when we come back after this short break, we will talk about other news from Spain and beyond, including Rayo Vallecano back at Vallecas, a bit of Cristiano, and a bit of Pep perhaps.

Join us in a minute.

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But, uh, yeah, it, it was already an ongoing investigation, so, uh, headlines that it's been reactivated are, are a little bit misleading.

So that's the latest on that.

Uh, finally, Román, let's talk about Rayo Vallecano because they were back at Vallecas for the first time this season.

They played a friendly in their own stadium.