Rayo Vallecano facts for kids
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| Full name | Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, SAD | |||
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| Nickname(s) | Los Franjirrojos (The Red Sashes) Rayito (Little Thunderbolt) Orgullo de la clase obrera (The Pride of the Working class) |
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| Founded | 29 May 1924 as Agrupación Deportiva El Rayo | |||
| Ground | El Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas | |||
| Capacity | 14,708 | |||
| Owner | Raúl Martín Presa | |||
| President | Raúl Martín Presa | |||
| Head coach | Iñigo Pérez | |||
| League | La Liga | |||
| 2022–23 | La Liga, 11th of 20 | |||
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Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. is a professional football club from Madrid, Spain. People often call it Rayo, which means "thunderbolt" in Spanish. The club plays in La Liga, which is the top football league in Spain.
Rayo Vallecano was started on May 29, 1924. It is known for its strong connection to the local community. The club represents the working-class people of its neighborhood, Vallecas. Since 1976, their home games have been played at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium. This stadium can hold 14,708 fans.
Throughout its history, Rayo has played 19 seasons in Spain's top league. They have also played in one European competition. This was the UEFA Cup in the 2000–01 season. In 2017–18 Segunda División, the club won the Segunda División title. Rayo is the third best club in the Community of Madrid. Only Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid are ranked higher.
Contents
Club History
How Rayo Vallecano Started
Rayo Vallecano began on May 29, 1924. It was founded in the hometown of Prudencia Priego. She was the wife of the club's first president, Julián Huerta. In 1949, the team added a red diagonal stripe to their kit. This was inspired by the Argentine club River Plate. It also happened after an agreement with Atlético Madrid. With this new look, the club reached the Tercera División for the first time.
Moving Between Leagues
Rayo Vallecano has often moved between La Liga (the top league) and Segunda División (the second league). They are sometimes called a "yo-yo club" because of this. They have always been in the shadow of Madrid's two biggest clubs. These are Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. The 1983–84 season was a tough time. The club finished last in Segunda División and went down to Segunda División B.
A famous player named Laurie Cunningham played for Rayo Vallecano. He joined the club for one season. He had previously played for Real Madrid.
Rayo seemed to settle in the top league after being promoted in 1999. Their most successful season was in 2000–01. They reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup. They were knocked out by Alavés. Rayo got into this competition because of a special "fair play" award.
Years in Lower Divisions (2003–2011)
After their European success, the club faced difficulties. They were relegated two seasons in a row. This happened in 2003 and 2004. For the 2005–06 season, Míchel became the manager. He was a well-known player from Real Madrid.
In the 2006–07 season, Rayo finished second in Segunda División B. They won their promotion play-off semi-final. However, they lost in the final to Eibar. The next season, 2007–08, the team returned to the second division. This was after four years away. They won their play-offs against Benidorm and Zamora.
In their first few seasons back in the second tier, Rayo did well. They often finished near the promotion spots. In 2010–11, the team finished second. They returned to the top league after an eight-year break. They were only behind champions Real Betis, even with money problems.
Back to La Liga and More Changes (2011–Present)
In March 2014, the company Huawei sponsored Rayo Vallecano. This was for two league matches.
In 2015, Rayo Vallecano bought most of Oklahoma City FC. This was a new football team in the NASL in the USA. It was the first time a Spanish club entered the American sports market. Rayo OKC stopped playing after one year. This happened because Rayo Vallecano was relegated from La Liga. Also, there were disagreements between the owners.
In May 2016, Rayo Vallecano was relegated to the Segunda División. They finished 18th in the 2015–16 La Liga season. This ended their longest stay in the top league, which was five years. Their first season back in the second division was difficult. They had problems on and off the field. They finished 12th. Rayo had three different managers in the 2016–17 Segunda División season. Finally, club legend Míchel became manager. He helped the club move away from the relegation zone.
At the start of the 2017–18 Segunda División season, David Cobeño became the club's sporting director. He used to be a goalkeeper for the club. They earned promotion back to La Liga by beating CD Lugo 1–0. They won the Segunda División that season with 76 points.
On March 20, 2019, Paco Jémez was appointed as head coach. On May 4, Rayo was relegated back to the Segunda División. They lost 4–1 to Levante UD and finished last.
In August 2020, Andoni Iraola became the head coach. The team finished sixth. They won promotion in the play-offs against Girona FC. Even though they lost the first game at home, they won the second game away. This earned them a spot in La Liga for 2021–22. In February 2022, Iraola's team beat RCD Mallorca. This meant they reached the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey. It was only the second time in the club's history. The club finished 12th in La Liga. This was a great achievement. Many people thought they would be relegated because they were the smallest team in the league.
Previous Names
- Agrupación Deportiva El Rayo (May 29, 1924 – November 13, 1947)
- Agrupación Deportiva Rayo Vallecano (November 13, 1947 – 1995)
- Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (1995–present)
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Segunda División
- Winners: 2017–18
- Runners-up: 1988–89, 1991–92, 1994–95, 2010–11
- Segunda División B
- Winners: 1955–56, 1964–65, 1984–85, 2007–08
Regional Titles
- Workers Federation of Soccer: 1931–1932
- First Regional Division: 1948–1949
- Second Regional Division: 1940–1941
- Copa de Castilla: 1952–1953, 1967–1968, 1970–1971, 1972–1973, 1981–1982
- Madrid Cup: 1952–1953, 1966–1967
- Copa Ramón Triana: 1971–1972, 1973–1974
League Performance Summary
Rayo Vallecano has spent:
- 22 seasons in La Liga (the top league)
- 38 seasons in Segunda División (the second league)
- 5 seasons in Segunda División B (the third league, before 1977–78)
- 11 seasons in Tercera División (the third level before 1977–78)
European Competitions
Rayo Vallecano has played in the UEFA Cup once. Here is how they did:
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 UEFA Cup | Qualifying round |  Constel·lació Esportiva |
6–0 | 10–0 | 16–0 |
| First round |  Molde |
1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| Second round |  Viborg |
1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 (a) | |
| Third round |  Lokomotiv Moscow |
2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| Fourth round |  Bordeaux |
4–1 | 2–1 | 6–2 | |
| Quarter-finals |  Alavés |
2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 |
Current Team Squad
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Reserve Team
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Players on Loan
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Current Coaching Staff
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Iñigo Pérez |
| Assistant coach | Adrián López |
| Kit man | José Vargas Kiko Jiménez |
| Delegate | Miguel Ortiz |
| Goalkeeping coach | Pedro Moncayo |
| Analyst | Óscar Díaz |
| Rehab fitness coach | Sergio Vázquez |
| Physiotherapist | Marcos Marín Miguel Ángel Martín |
| Doctor | Carlos Beceiro Giovanni Mazzocca |
Last updated: September 2022
Source: Rayo Vallecano
Club Stadium
The Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas is Rayo Vallecano's home stadium. It is located in Vallecas. The stadium opened on May 10, 1976. It was first called "New Stadium Vallecas." In January 2004, its name changed. This was to honor Teresa Rivero. She was the first woman president of a top football team.
The stadium can hold 14,708 people. All seats are individual. The field size is 100 by 67 meters. This size was set after changes to the stands. These changes removed fences around the field. The pitch is one of the smallest in La Liga. Also, one end of the field does not have a grandstand. It has a large wall with information panels instead.
In June 2009, the club announced plans for a new stadium. However, the local government, which owns the stadium, does not have any plans for a new one as of 2023.
Club Culture and Fans
The fans of Rayo Vallecano do not have a good relationship with the current owner, Raúl Martín Presa. They often chant for him to leave the club.
In March 2012, the team showed support for protests happening in Spain. The squad decided to take a day off from training. They joined the public demonstrations. In 2014, an 85-year-old woman from Vallecas, Carmen Martínez Ayuso, was facing eviction from her home. She had lived there since the 1960s. Rayo Vallecano, especially coach Paco Jémez, were moved by her story. They offered to help her financially.
In February 2017, a Ukrainian player named Roman Zozulya left the club. This happened after fans chanted negative things about him. They accused him of being linked to far-right groups. Zozulya denied these claims. He returned to his previous club, Real Betis. In 2019, when Zozulya played for Albacete, a match was stopped. This was because fans again chanted similar accusations.
Club Songs
Many people know the supporting songs by the band Ska-P. These songs are Rayo Vallecano and Como un rayo. Rayo Vallecano also has an official anthem. This anthem is played at their home stadium before matches.
The club is also known for singing "La Vida Pirata" (which means "The Pirate Life"). This song is about pirates. The club's fan group, the Bukaneros, are named after pirates.
Spanish: La vida pirata es la vida mejor (bis) sin trabajar (bis) Sin estudiar (bis) Con la botella de ron (bis) Soy capitán (bis) del Santa Inés (bis) Y en cada puerto tengo una mujer (bis) La rubia es (bis) Fenomenal (bis) Y la morena tampoco esta mal (bis) Las inglesas con su seriedad (bis) Y las francesas que todo lo dan (bis) Si alguna vez (bis) Me he de casar (bis) Me he de casar (bis) Con la del Rayo, una, una y nada más (bis).
English: The pirate life is the best life (twice) without working (twice) without studying (twice) With the bottle of rum (twice) I am captain (twice) of the "Santa Inés" (twice) and in each port, I have a woman (twice) the blonde is (twice) phenomenal (twice) and the brunette is not bad either (twice) The English women with their seriousness (twice) And the French women who give everything (twice) If ever (twice) I have to marry (twice) I have to marry (twice) with the one of Rayo, one, one and no more (twice)
Images for kids
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A chart showing Rayo Vallecano's league performance over the years.
See also
In Spanish: Rayo Vallecano de Madrid para niños
