Rayo Vallecano's return to their Vallecas stadium this Saturday will be a day of protest. The supporters, led by the Bukaneros group, have called for a major mobilisation against president Raúl Martín Presa's management during the LaLiga match against Athletic Club.
The fixture, kicking off at 14:00, marks the first official game at Vallecas after a 140-day absence. The stadium's closure by the Community of Madrid at the end of July, due to maintenance failures and unsanitary conditions, forced the team to play their first three home matches at Butarque. Although the ground has reopened, fans complain that no substantial improvements have been made, pointing to issues like flooded toilets and dirty seats during the Vallecas Trophy match against Cagliari, which drew only 4,500 spectators.
A stand's outcry
In a statement, the Bukaneros have issued a collective call to season-ticket holders and fan clubs to defend the club. "We have been away from what we love most for almost five months," they said. The group accuses Presa's board of "disastrous, irresponsible and practically non-existent" management that attacks the club's and neighbourhood's identity. Their patience, they claim, has run out. The rallying cry is clear: 'The League returns to Vallecas: point the finger at Presa'. The aim is for the stadium to become an outcry against a leadership they believe endangers the survival of a century-old institution.
This discontent already materialised in acts of vandalism in the presidential box during the friendly, with graffiti reading 'Presa get out now'. The Community of Madrid condemned these acts. Mariano de Paco, a spokesperson for the regional government, stated: "From the Community of Madrid we condemn any type of vandalism act at the Estadio de Vallecas." For its part, the club reported the attempted access to the box by several individuals.
Sporting context
The team faces this off-field tension sitting 12th in LaLiga, with 8 points from seven games. Their last result was a 1-1 draw at Osasuna on 19 September, with a goal from Sergio Camello, the season's top scorer with seven goals. Recent form is mixed, with two wins, one draw and two defeats in the last five matches. Saturday's opponent, Athletic Club, arrives tenth in the table, making three points valuable for both sides.
The Bukaneros' call aims to gather around 13,500 people, almost triple the attendance of the last friendly, so that the voice of Vallecas makes it clear that Rayo "belongs to its people". The match, beyond the result, will be the first test of a charged, protest-filled atmosphere. The team must focus on the game while the stadium lives its own struggle. The next appointment on the fixtures calendar is this home clash, a complicated return that defines the club's current moment.
This story first appeared at lavanguardia.com
