Rayo Vallecano find out opponents in Conference League play-off round | OneFootball

Rayo Vallecano now have an idea of the route for their return to European competition, after the UEFA Conference League draw was conducted on Monday. The Madrid-based side will certainly like their chances of making it to the group stages of the Conference League.

The side from Vallecas qualified in eighth place in La Liga last season due to Spain’s coefficient ranking granting a fifth Champions League spot, and a 0-0 draw at home with RCD Mallorca sparked wild celebrations in Vallecas on the final day of the season. Now with preparations underway for the coming season, Inigo Perez’s side know they will face one of Klaksvik or Neman Grodno in the play-off round.

Klaksvik: A trip to the Faroe Islands?

Klaksvik is the second largest town on the Faroe Islands, and has a population of just 5,100 people. It would certainly meet any desire for an exotic away trip held by Rayo fans. The football team, or KI as they are known, has been around for 120 years though, and are one of the most successful Faroese clubs, with 21 league titles. In the 2023-24 season, they became the first Faroese side to play at the group stages of a European competition after knocking out Swedish side BK Hacken.

They beat Radnicki (1-0 on agg.) and Seinajoki (4-1 on agg.) in the opening two qualifying rounds.

Neman Grodno: Belarussian Cup winners

Meanwhile the other side that they could meet are Neman Grodno, who finished second in Belarus in 2023 and 2024, and have won the Belarussian Cup the last two years as well, and have an 8,500-seater stadium. Located on the Neman River, Grodno is a city of 363,000 people in the North-West corner of Belarus, close to the borders with Poland and Lithuania.

They made their way past Urartu (6-1 on agg.) and Kosice in neighbouring Poland (4-3 on agg.) in the opening two rounds.

When will the games be?

Rayo were seeded but managed to avoid relative powers such as AEK Athens and Brondby in the play-off round, and will be heavy favourites against either opponent. Inigo Perez’s must prepare for a first leg away from home on Thursday the 21st of August, and have the return leg in Vallecas on the 28th of August.

Those games comes either side of a Liga clash against Athletic Club in Bilbao. Before it they kick off their campaign six days prior against Girona in Catalonia, and have Barcelona after the second leg at home. This is just Rayo’s second foray into European football, reaching the quarter-final of the 2000-01 UEFA Cup, before bowing out to compatriots Alaves.