Rayo Vallecano

History

Establishment and early years

Rayo Vallecano was founded on 29 May 1924 in the hometown of Prudencia Priego, wife of the club's first president Julián Huerta. Greatly inspired by Argentina's River Plate, in 1949, after an agreement with Atlético Madrid, a red diagonal stripe was added to the team's kit, and the club reached Tercera División for the first time in its history.

Yo-yo years

One of the perennial yo-yo clubs of Spanish football, and always in the shadow of the two biggest clubs in the city (Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid), Rayo Vallecano spent many years during the 1980s and 1990s moving back and forth between La Liga and Segunda División. The 1983–84 season was the worst during the 1980s. The club finished in the last position in Segunda División and was relegated to Segunda División B.

Due to a tragedy Rayo Vallecano turned out to be Laurie Cunningham's last club; he was killed in a car crash just outside Madrid in 1989, after a sole season. He had recently won an F.A. Cup winners medal with Wimbledon F.C. in England the previous year and had also represented neighbours Real Madrid for four years.

They appeared to have consolidated their top flight status after gaining promotion in 1999, and the team's most successful season came in 2000–01 when they reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, going out only to eventual runners-up Alavés; Rayo finished ninth in the previous campaign, but entered the competition via the fair play draw.

2003–11: Segunda División and below

However, the club shortly thereafter fell on hard times, enduring successive relegations in 2003 and 2004. For 2005–06 manager Míchel, a Real Madrid legend in the 1980s and '90s, was hired.

Rayo finished the 2006–07 season in second place in Segunda División B, winning the promotion play-off semifinal but losing in the final to Eibar (1–2 aggregate). The following campaign, the team returned to division two after a four-year absence after a victorious run in the playoffs, disposing of Benidorm in the semi-final and Zamora in the last game 2–1 on aggregate.

In its first seasons back in the second tier of Spanish football, Rayo finished comfortably, often either in or just outside the promotion places. In 2010–11, the team ranked in second position and returned to the top flight after an eight-year absence, only trailing champions Real Betis in spite of very serious economic problems.

2011–: La Liga and Segunda División yo-yo, and European football

In March 2014, Huawei agreed to sponsor Rayo Vallecano for two league matches against Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

In August 2015, Rayo Vallecano purchased the majority of Oklahoma City FC, a NASL expansion franchise which had yet to officially play a game renaming the club to Rayo OKC, despite the stadium increasingly needing work. It was the first ever entry of a Spanish club into the American sports market and mirrored a 2013 sponsorship agreement with Qbao in terms of expanding the club's profile overseas. Rayo OKC folded after a year due to Rayo Vallecano's relegation from La Liga and a dispute between the co-owners led to less finance for the U.S. side.

In May 2016, Rayo Vallecano were relegated to the Segunda División, finishing 18th in the 2015–16 La Liga season. This ended their five-year streak in La Liga, their longest ever stay in the top-flight. Their first season back in the second division was a poor one, with both problems on the field and off, and they finished in 12th position. Rayo went through three managers in the 2016–17 Segunda División season before finally settling on club legend Míchel. He revived the club from the relegation places to 12th, almost making the playoffs.

At the start of the 2017–18 Segunda División season, the club appointed their recently retired goalkeeper David Cobeño as the sporting director of the club. They secured their promotion with a 1–0 over CD Lugo with one game remaining. That season the club won Segunda División with 76 points in 42 games.

On 20 March 2019, the club appointed Paco Jémez as head coach, and on 4 May, Rayo was relegated back to the Segunda División after losing 4–1 to Levante UD, eventually finishing last.

In August 2020, the club appointed Andoni Iraola as head coach. They finished sixth and won promotion in the playoffs against Girona FC; despite losing the first leg at home 1–2, the team came back to win the second leg 2–0 away to claim a place in La Liga for 2021–22. In February 2022, Iraola's side defeated RCD Mallorca to make the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey; it was the second time in club history and first since 1982. The club finished 12th in La Liga. This was a big achievement as they were by far the league's smallest team, and most had predicted that they would be relegated. They once again qualified for European football after 24 years, entering into the UEFA Conference League play-offs by finishing 8th in 2024-25 season. They went on to make their debut appearances in a major UEFA competition group or league phase by reaching the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League league phase. They finished the league phase in fifth place (out of 36) qualifying directly to the round of 16, and subsequently qualified for their first-ever European semi-final and final.

Previous names

Agrupación Deportiva El Rayo (29 May 1924 – 13 November 1947)

Agrupación Deportiva Rayo Vallecano (13 November 1947 – 1995)

Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (1995–present)

N.B. Affiliate of Atlético Madrid in 1949–50

Club culture and supporters

Rayo Vallecano is a football club based in the Vallecas neighbourhood of Madrid, traditionally considered a working-class area with a strong leftist identity. Vallecas was a Republican stronghold during the Spanish Civil War and grew significantly under the Franco regime as it received migrants from other parts of Spain, many of whom had experienced economic hardship or political repression. The club is closely associated with the local community, and both the neighbourhood and the club maintain a distinct identity, often emphasised through the alternative spelling "Vallekas".

Consequently, Rayo Vallecano’s supporters, particularly the ultras group Bukaneros, are often left-wing, anti-fascist, and politically active. In the stands, they regularly display banners, flags, and visual displays expressing opposition to racism, fascism, homophobia, and the commercialisation of football, while also supporting women's rights, workers' rights, and international solidarity, including pro-Palestine messaging. Chants often carry political content, and fans have a tradition of imaginative collective protest, such as mocking league decisions on match scheduling or highlighting perceived exploitation of supporters. Republican flags, Che Guevara images, and the Spanish Civil War slogan "¡No pasarán!" are commonly displayed at games. In 2014 the club and fan base aided Carmen Martinez Ayudo, an 85-year-old local woman, after she was evicted from her home, and flew banners reading "The evictions of a sick state, the solidarity of a working-class neighbourhood" displayed at the following match.

In late March 2012, the Rayo squad took one day off training to join demonstrations supporting the 2011–12 Spanish protests.

The fanbase actively enforces its political views; In February 2017, Ukrainian player Roman Zozulya left the club after one training session due to chants by Rayo fans accusing him of far-right affiliations; Zozulya denied any such associations and returned to his parent club Real Betis. Following the training ground incident, Rayo Vallecano fans continued to target Roman Zozulya in December 2019 during a Segunda División match against Albacete Balompié, whom Zozulya eventually moved to. The match was abandoned at half-time after home supporters chanted "Zozulya, you are a Nazi!". The league, both clubs, and the referee agreed to suspend the game to protect players and uphold competition values. Rayo's president, Raúl Martín Presa, publicly condemned the chants and met with Zozulya to express support and respect.

Anthems and songs

Although most people recognise the supporting songs by ska-punk band Ska-P (Rayo Vallecano and Como un rayo), Rayo Vallecano has an official anthem which played at their home stadium before matches.

The club is also known for chanting the song "La Vida Pirata" (English: "The Pirate Life"), a song about pirates, which the Bukaneros are named after.

Honours

League

Segunda División (2nd tier)

Winners (1): 2017–18

Runners-up (4): 1988–89, 1991–92, 1994–95, 2010–11

Tercera División / Segunda División B (3rd tier)

Winners (4): 1955–56, 1964–65, 1984–85, 2007–08

European

UEFA Conference League

Runners-up (1): 2025–26

Regional

Workers Federation of Soccer (1): 1931–32

First Regional Division (1): 1948–49

Second Regional Division (1): 1940–41

Copa de Castilla (5): 1952–53, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1981–82

Madrid Cup (2): 1952–53, 1966–67

Copa Ramón Triana (2): 1971–72, 1973–74

Season to season

24 seasons in La Liga

38 seasons in Segunda División

5 seasons in Segunda División B

11 seasons in Tercera División (third level before 1977–78)

Current squad

As of 3 September 2026

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Reserve team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Notable players

Note: this list includes players that have played at least 100 league games and/or have reached international status.

Stadium

Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas is a football stadium located on Calle Payaso Fofó 1, Vallecas. Opened on 10 May 1976, at first it was called "New Stadium Vallecas", but in January 2004, 13 years after the arrival of the Ruiz-Mateos family in 1991, it changed denominations, as the wife was also named by her husband, businessman José María, the first woman president of an elite football team.

It has a capacity of 14,708 spectators in an all-seated format and dimensions of 100×67 m. after the enlargement of the width and the reduction of the length of the pitch after the remodelling of the grandstands, compulsory due to the elimination of the fences surrounding the pitch. The pitch is one the smallest in La Liga. Additionally, one of the goal ends does not have a grandstand, just a big wall with information panels.

In June 2009, the club announced plans for the construction of a new stadium. Nevertheless, the Autonomous Community of Madrid, owner of the stadium, has not any plan as far as it is known in 2023.