Madrid’s Vallecas district woke to another hard-edged dispute around its football club after Rayo Vallecano reported an overnight attack on the Estadio de Vallecas, the ground that remains the centre of life for the club and its neighbourhood.
Rayo said its social headquarters had been targeted, with the authorities’ box damaged and stadium exteriors again vandalised. The club described the incident as an assault on its home rather than an isolated act of damage.
Quick facts
- Rayo Vallecano reported an overnight break-in at the Estadio de Vallecas.
- The authorities’ area was vandalised, while the stadium façade has also suffered repeated damage.
- The club linked the episode to alleged harassment of its president and his family since 28 July.
- Security-camera footage will be included in a formal complaint to be filed on Monday.
- The Trofeo de Vallecas was still scheduled to go ahead, returning after a seven-year absence.
In its statement, Rayo argued that the damage was the result of hatred directed towards the club’s leadership. It said its president, his family and, by extension, the institution had faced a campaign of intimidation, extortion and harassment since 28 July.
The club also referred to what it called incitement to hatred, saying that threats had been expressed through attacks such as this one. It cited damage this week to the statue of the bear and strawberry tree as another example.
Rayo said the situation would not force it to retreat. The Trofeo de Vallecas was due to be played as planned later that day, marking the tournament’s first staging in seven years and an occasion the club described as a source of pride for the barrio.
Beyond the immediate event, the Madrid side said it would continue its work towards a sixth successive season in Spain’s top division, a milestone that would be unprecedented in the history of the century-old club.
A legal complaint is to be lodged on Monday, with images from the stadium’s surveillance system submitted as evidence. Rayo called for the case to be handled swiftly and firmly, describing the attack on its headquarters as unacceptable.
