Rayo’s return to Vallecas comes with issues still unresolved | OneFootball

The Community of Madrid lifts the precautionary suspension thanks to technical and documentary progress

The Estadio de Vallecas will reopen its doors for the clash against Athletic Club after the international break, after the Community of Madrid lifted the precautionary suspension after the second audit certified a “very significant material and documentary improvement.” The technical report confirms the correction of serious health and safety shortcomings —such as the upgrading of electrical panels, emergency lighting, fire signage, and the restoration of the restaurant area— as well as the update of the Self-Protection Plan. Even so, the review does not hide the fact that the concession termination proceedings are still moving forward administratively and warns of urgent pending tasks: insufficient width in several vomitories (which would require reducing capacity if they are not widened) and the advanced age of critical supply equipment, which will require renewal under the multi-year plan.

The enforced exile at Butarque also affected the logistical aspects of the pitch. José María Sardá, the club’s vice president, explained that once it was confirmed that the match against Espanyol would not be played on Avenida de la Albufera, the club immediately began replacing the summer surface (bermuda) with winter seed (ryegrass). This seasonal replanting was brought forward compared with previous seasons in order to optimize the grass’s grip and resilience in the face of falling temperatures and reduced sunlight, ensuring a pitch in optimal condition for the packed autumn schedule.

However, the technical ruling and the work on the grass have not halted the discontent among sporting bodies or the climate of social protest. Paco Díez, president of the Royal Madrid Football Federation (RFFM), said on Radio 5 of RNE that the work carried out at the stadium amounts to little more than a “cosmetic facelift” in a ground that “has not been looked after much in recent times,” stressing that the venue did not meet the regulatory requirements of La Liga or UEFA. On the social front, criticism of the management of Raúl Martín Presa has once again gone beyond the limits of the neighborhood, with protest banners and chants from ultra groups such as Chavs 71 (AD Alcorcón) and Banda Rojinegra (CAP Ciudad de Murcia). Joining the voices of rejection is a historic red-sash figure, Coke Andújar, who in Zona Mixta lamented that the outside noise overshadows the team’s achievements, emphasizing that “Rayo needs far greater infrastructure in order to grow” and arguing that the club’s true essence and identity reside, non-negotiably, in the neighborhood and its people.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.