Rayo-Athletic suspended after Vallecas protest escalates

Match between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Club was suspended at Estadio de Vallecas after supporters repeatedly threw balls and paper airplanes onto the pitch in a protest against president Raúl Martín Presa. In the 13th minute, with the score at 0-0 and Athletic ready to take a corner, the first wave of objects forced play to stop. The game began at 14.00 hours, was paused for half an hour, resumed at 14.44 hours, then had to be stopped again.

The protest and the stoppage

Referee Sánchez Martínez called the captains and later told coaches Beñat San José and Edin Terzic that the match could not continue. Stadium workers then moved onto the grass to clear paper airplanes and balls, with police present at Estadio de Vallecas.

The slogans in the stands made the target of the protest clear. Europa Press reported home supporters chanting, “Presa, leave now”, while another supporter told Foot Mercato: “It is a complete disaster. They can give us the victory, but it is the only way to show that we want this man to leave the club”. There was even a chant of “Athletic, Athletic” from some of the home crowd as the scene turned against the president rather than the visitors.

The fixture and the context around it

Reports on the final status were not fully aligned at the point of publication. Europa Press described the match as suspended, while Foot Mercato said the referee sent both teams back to the dressing rooms after the second interruption. However it is described officially later, the football had already gone out of the story by then.

The timing also sat against an unusual backdrop for Vallecas. The Community of Madrid had lifted the precautionary suspension of the stadium-use concession before this was the first Vallecas match of the season under that ruling. On the pitch, the game had little of the feel of a top-table clash anyway. Rayo went in 12th in La Liga with 8 points from 7 games, while Athletic were 10th with 8 points from 6.