Analysis: Not all successful teams are well managed – The curious case of Rayo Vallecano | OneFootball

Yesterday became a historical event for Rayo Vallecano, as the club defeated Belarusian side Neman Grodno 4-0 in the Conference League play-off second leg at Vallecas. It marks Rayo’s second participation in any European competition. Often nicknamed the ‘club del barrio’ (literally club of the neighborhood), everything would indicate that the streets of Vallecas will be filled with joy. The reality, however, is not as bright as it may seem.

It’s only been four years since Rayo Vallecano returned to La Liga. Throughout the 2010’s, the club spent several seasons between the first and second division, incapable of dealing with the elite while too strong for the Segunda. Everything changed when coach Andoni Iraola led Rayo to new heights, with the club landing in the top half of the table.

His style was defined by an abnormal intensity, characteristic of Rayo’s philosophy. Every kid in Vallecas liked to run and carry the ball: Rayo did exactly that. They defeated the big boys, such as Barcelona and Real Madrid. Their pace, and strong sense of defiant identity allowed them to surprise veteran teams in La Liga. Soon enough, Iraola’s works were noticed across the continent, leading to Bournemouth luring him to a journey in the Premier League.

Image via EFE

Iraola’s heart remains at Rayo Vallecano, even during his stay in England. And yet, he did what was the most sensible thing in a managerial career. Iraola went for a team with a higher budget, which is not difficult, as the economic divide between Spain and England continues to force Spanish talent to leave the country. Rayo Vallecano are not the only ones to struggle with money. The problem is that the club’s finances, and more specifically, Rayo’s board are authors of disastrous seasons.

Inigo Perez replaced Iraola, who was his former assistant. If he is in Vallecas, it is mostly due to issues surrounding his work permit preventing a move to England. He was supposed to join Iraola at Bournemouth, but instead ended up as the emergency replacement for Iraola’s replacement, Francisco, entirely by accident. It is no surprise the team continues to play a similar philosophy. He continues to rely on flank-based attacks, with players like Alvaro Garcia and Isi Palazon. The latter is a long-time servant, has become a club icon, renowned for his magical left-foot.

It has not hurt that Isi has been among the players to voice his opinions surrounding the club’s situation. Despite the club’s success in recent years, the money has not been reinvested by the board. Rayo are no different than most La Liga clubs when it comes to ownership, who have been led by Raul Martin Presa for the last 15 years.

Image via Apo Caballero / Marca

Presa is a typical Spanish multimillionaire, whose multiple business ventures at the beginning of the century led him to powerful municipal positions in Madrid and Sevilla. Eventually, he purchased Rayo Vallecano in 2011, as the club was about to declare bankruptcy.

His team might have be successful, but he has never had a good relationship with his fans. He has repeatedly refused to invest in the women’s team, in addition to failing to renovate the stadium. The City Council have been forced to intervene on safety grounds on multiple occasions as a result, Presa refusing invest in the municipal-owned ground, as he angles for a lucrative move outside the neighbourhood. Rayo Vallecano now find themselves in Europe, but there is no English-speaking account social media account. Just like every other club, Rayo have been granted by La Liga a certain sum to put into the club’s marketing. Seemingly, Presa and his board have decided they did not need it.

Where the club’s money, after so many successful seasons has gone, remains a mystery. This is not about investment, but basic functionalities. Isi, speaking to COPE, revealed that the players have no team bus and “take the public transport instead”. In addition to that, the pitch conditions are atrocious, as revealed by El Chiringuito earlier this week. Rayo famously has a smaller stadium with limited capacity (14,708), which has become an advantage for the team, as other players are used to bigger pitches. In itself, not a problem. A bigger worry is that the stadium’s seats still need urgent renovations, which has led to further disputes with Madrid’s municipality.

One thing is to invest in club infrastructure, which requires bureaucracy, time, and energy. It is (hardly) understandable that the club has postponed such decisions. What cannot be justified is the sore sight of queues, week after week, in front of the stadium in Vallecas. Rayo Vallecano are the only club in Spanish professional football where online ticket sales remain unavailable, leading to seven or eight-hour long queues ahead of big matches. After their victory over Neman Grodno, some fans went straight from the celebrations to queue for tickets for Sunday’s clash against Barcelona in the early hours of the morning. Nothing indicates the long waits won’t be the case for the Conference League games.

Yes, it is exceptional that Rayo Vallecano have landed a Conference League spot. Presa continues to sign players that coaches have not requested, just as he continues to provoke fans. Rayo, as the club del barrio, are one of the most left-wing fanbases in Spain. Los Bukaneros, an ultra group, has regularly found issues with Presa’s methods. The Rayo owner famously invited far-right VOX leader Santiago Abascal to a Rayo match back in 2019, while continuing to ignore the fans’ demands, especially with regards to the women’s team. This rift led to several death threats by extreme fans.

Yes, Rayo are in the Conference League. Yes, this is a unique achievement. But no, this cannot be obscured into part of the romanticism around it. Rayo’s reality, as long as Presa remains president, will be mixed with several black brush strokes, perhaps better put, blotches. The stadium, in its current state, has only a few years left to live, and at the same time, celebratory confetti rains down on the pitch in Vallecas. For a stadium, iconic due to the local culture, defining for one of Spain’s most successful underdog teams, it is a depressing sight.