Rayo Vallecano


Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., 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 Segunda División following relegation from La Liga. Home games are held at the 14,708-seater Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium.
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.

History

Rayo Vallecano saw the light of day on 29 May 1924 in the hometown of Prudencia Priego, wife of the club's first president Julián Huerta. Greatly inspired by River Plate, 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.
One of the perennial yo-yo clubs of Spanish football, and always in the shadow of the two biggest clubs in the city, 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. 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; Rayo finished ninth in the previous campaign, but entered the competition via the fair play draw.

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.
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. 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.

A Familiar Sight in the 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. 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.

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 Qbao in terms of expanding the club's profile overseas. 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.
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. 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. Rayo secured their return to the Primera Division with a 1-0 over Lugo on the 41st game of the season. That season the club won Segunda División with 76 points in 42 games.

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. Rayo almost achieved their best ever result eventually losing to Barcelona
On 4 May 2019, Rayo was relegated back to the Segunda Division after losing 4–1 to Levante UD. In that season the club finished in the last, 20th position in La Liga.

Back in the Segunda Division

Club background

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

Honours

National Titles
Regional Titles

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  • 18 seasons in La Liga
  • 35 seasons in Segunda División
  • 5 seasons in Segunda División B
  • 11 seasons in Tercera División

    European history

Current squad

Reserve team

Out on loan

Current technical staff

Notable former players

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

Coaches

Club presidents

Stadium

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 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.
  • 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.
  • Rayo's players are often involved in charity work, one instance of this is that the current club captain Roberto Trashorras, amongst other players, regularly helps out at a homeless shelter.

    Fans

  • 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 known for chanting the song "La Vida Pirata" or in English "The Pirate Life".
Spanish:
La vida pirata es la vida mejor
sin trabajar
Sin estudiar
Con la botella de ron
Soy capitán
del Santa Inés
Y en cada puerto tengo una mujer
La rubia es
Fenomenal
Y la morena tampoco esta mal
Las inglesas con su seriedad
Y las francesas que todo lo dan
Si alguna vez
Me he de casar
Me he de casar
Con la del Rayo, una, una y nada más.
English:
'The pirate life is the best life
without working
without studying
With the bottle of rum
I am captain
of the "Santa Inés"'
and in each port, I have a woman
the blonde is
phenomenal
and the brunette is not bad either
The English women with their seriousness
And the French women who give everything
If ever
I have to marry
I have to marry
with the one of Rayo, one, one and no more.'
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