Rayo Vallecano has formally accused the Community of Madrid of deliberately delaying the reopening of the Estadio de Vallecas. The La Liga club made these statements on Tuesday, claiming the regional administration's stance is causing significant harm on all fronts.
According to the Mundo Deportivo report, Rayo maintains that the Community of Madrid has not lifted the suspension of the stadium's concession despite updated safety reports being submitted. The club alleges that LaLiga issued an emergency report on August 15 confirming full compliance with regulations. This situation directly affects the upcoming home match against Racing de Santander, scheduled for September 5, a fixture the team faces while sitting 18th in the table with just one point from three games.
Why can't Rayo play at Vallecas?
The immediate reason is the Community of Madrid's refusal to lift the suspension. The club states it requested the lifting after submitting complete technical reports on safety, accessibility, cleanliness, and health. It asserts that the Ministry of the Interior verified security and accessibility devices for each of the more than 25 official matches the stadium hosted in the 2025/2026 season without incident. Rayo also mentions that other authorities like the RFEF and UEFA had authorized matches and verified safety measures.
The regional administration's stance was expressed by Mariano de Paco, who stated that the Vallecas stadium "will not open" until an external audit verifies it is "safe for people and sanitary." The club, however, rejects an external audit report from July 14, 2026, claiming it contained errors and that the Community of Madrid did not believe it.
What strategy does the club denounce?
Rayo Vallecano has denounced that the will of the Community of Madrid is to cause it harm in every way, "deliberately delaying competing in the Vallecas stadium." The official statement adds that it "does not act guided by the principle of legality, but in the service of other interests."
A central part of the dispute revolves around an alleged strategy to make the club assume a stadium renovation valued at 60 million euros. Rayo insists this responsibility lay with the Community of Madrid. Furthermore, the club criticizes being required to submit documentation within a 10-day deadline, by July 24, a timeframe it called materially impossible to meet. If safety concerns existed since an audit in December 2025, the club argues the Community should have communicated this earlier and required corrective actions.
How does this affect Rayo's season?
The inability to play at Vallecas comes at a tricky point in the campaign. The team occupies 18th place in La Liga, with a record of zero wins, one draw, and two losses in its first three matches. Their recent form is LDL and they have a goal difference of -4, having scored four and conceded eight. This leaves them eight points behind leaders Barcelona. Losing their home ground deprives the team of home advantage in a key match against 10th-placed Racing de Santander.
The squad is also dealing with significant absences. Goalkeeper Augusto Batalla and player Jozhua Vertrouwd are currently sidelined, further complicating the manager's planning. Fans can follow the team's status and upcoming fixtures on our squad page and fixtures calendar.
What are the next steps?
The conflict appears far from resolved. Rayo Vallecano alleges the Community of Madrid leaked information to the press that the suspension would not be lifted for the August 20 match against Alavés or the September 5 match. The club maintains the regional administration knew the required documentation was already in order, as the municipal license remained valid. With the Racing match just around the corner, uncertainty over the venue is complete. The team prepares for that September 5 fixture not knowing if it will have its fortress available.
