Rayo Vallecano's match against Athletic Club was suspended on Saturday following a massive protest by home fans at the Estadio de Vallecas. Supporters threw paper planes and plastic balls onto the pitch, forcing the definitive abandonment of the LaLiga EA Sports matchday 8 fixture.

The protest, organized by the most ardent fan sector under the slogan 'the day of protest', aimed to demand the departure of president Martín Presa. Fans chanted insults like 'Presa leave now' and distributed flyers accusing him of negligence and turning the club into a 'global meme'. Referee José María Sánchez Martínez initially stopped play, sent the players to the dressing rooms and, after a long stoppage and an attempted restart, called the match off for good. The decision followed a meeting on the pitch with delegates and police, who could not guarantee safety.

Reactions and consequences

Rayo coach Beñat San José confirmed the team will not play on Sunday. "Rayo trains tomorrow. Tomorrow we are not going to play," said the manager, who is already preparing for the next league fixture. LaLiga issued a statement condemning the events. "La Liga strongly condemns this behaviour, which endangers safety and hinders the normal development of the competition." the body stated.

Athletic Club confirmed their return to Bilbao pending a new date, which could be played behind closed doors. The match was suspended with 77 minutes left to play. This incident comes after the stadium was closed by the Community of Madrid at the end of July due to lack of maintenance, and just weeks after its official reopening. In February, a match against Oviedo was also postponed over safety concerns.

With this match void, Rayo remain 13th in the standings, with 8 points from seven games. The team enters this stoppage in a delicate run of form, with just one win in their last five league matches. Their next fixture is a trip to the Coliseum to face Getafe on 19 October, in a direct duel for mid-table positions. Forward Sergio Camello, the team's top scorer with seven goals, will be a key figure in that away game. Camello has averaged 110 minutes on the pitch for each of his goals this season.

This story first appeared at La Vanguardia Deportes