In the cosmopolitan Madrid wereldstad Madrid, time seems to fly and people are always in a rush. Except in the working-class district Vallecas, a leftist stronghold a little south-east from the city center. It's where Rayo Vallecano comes from, a club where the voice of the fans matters, and time seems to stand still for ages.
Football club Rayo Vallecano runs counter to everything the Spanish top teams are standing for. In a league where the big clubs shamelessly go further in dept by hundreds of millions, at Rayo other things matter. The club is the pride of Vallecas, a districts of young communists, a real leftist bastion. How deep these values are anchored in the club became clear in 2017, when Rayo wanted to bring in a Ukrainian player - knowns for his far-right sympathies - on loan. The fans made themselves heard: within 24 hours, the loan move was called off.
The Campo de Vallecas is by far the most raw stadium of the Spanish top flight, it's actually totally unsuitable for top football. It is held together with band aid and tape, it has got only 15.000 places and behind one of the goals has never stood a stand in the first place. From the apartments behind the 5 meters high wall, you kind of have a free season ticket, and over the last decades you could have seen the greatest players passing by without leaving your balcony. There were plans to relocate Rayo Vallecano, but in the end, little people really want to see this club move to a new stadium. If it's up to us, we can't imagine Rayo playing in another stadium.
In the proximity of the stadium it's full of nice bars, especially on match days, although there are some who sadly didn't make it through the corona crisis. You have some at the Avenida de la Albufera (where also the metro station is), right in front of the stadium are a couple of bars.
Take behind the Fondo Sur the Calle Puerto del Monasterio, where you have after a couple of minutes a run-down building with a garage, at number 8. It's the place where in 1924 Rayo Vallecano was founded. It was the house of Prudencia Priego, the mother of Julián Huerta Priego, who became the first chairman of the club.
In the corner at the fanstore you find the portrait of Wilfred Agbonavbare, the Nigerian goal keeper who during his spell at Rayo even was selected for the World Cup of 1994. Agbonavbare died tragically in 2015 due to cancer, just 48 years old. Afterwards, his image was created at the stadium. His grave in the small town of Meco, just outside Madrid, is still regularly visited by fans of Rayo.
Real Madrid has its Cibeles, Atlético Madrid its Neptuno. Rayo Vallecano has got the Fuente de la Asamblea, the fountain where traditionally the successes of the club are celebrated. The fountain is at the junction in front of Centro Comercial Madrid Sur, which turns in a real traffic jam when Rayo is promoted once again.
Match tickets are usual easily bought on the official website of Rayo Vallecano. Compared to other teams in Spain, the tickets are quite favorable priced.
In Madrid, the easiest way to travel is by metro, and also Vallecas is best to reach underground. Especially Rayo Vallecano, who are perfect to reach with metro line 1, from the city center. From the central Puerta del Sol you're in 15 minutes at station Portazgo, where the paintings on the wall already give away where you have arrived. The entrance is namely direct behind the Tribuna Lateral of Campo de Vallecas.
Images: James Rajotte, Shutterstock, BSR Agency
