According to AS, Rayo Vallecano issued a nine-page statement responding to the suspension of its Vallecas stadium concession and the subsequent inability of the team to play home matches. The club pointed directly at the sports authority of the Madrid Community, accusing it of "intentionally harming the club's interests at all levels and deliberately delaying the team's return to play at Vallecas". The club argued that the Madrid Community was solely responsible for its inability to host matches against Alavés and Racing Santander at home.

Rayo Vallecano claimed that the Madrid Community produced an audit report signed on July 14 but dated July 27. However, the club alleged that this report was actually "a Word document created on December 12, 2024, converted to PDF". Rayo Vallecano questioned why, if the report had existed for so long, "it is inexplicable why authorities hid it for more than seven months".

The club also stated that the audit report contained obvious errors and flaws and therefore "no one truly believes this report". Rayo Vallecano emphasized that during the 10 years under president Raúl Martín Presa, over 200 matches had been held at Vallecas stadium without any security, accessibility, or hygiene incidents involving fans, players, staff, or security personnel.

Rayo Vallecano also revealed that on August 13, the club formally requested the lifting of the temporary suspension of the stadium concession. However, the Madrid Community disclosed to the media that the match against Alavés could not be held at Vallecas before informing the club of the reasons.

The club believes the same applies to the match against Racing Santander. The statement alleged that on August 28, authorities again disclosed to the media that the match could not return to Vallecas, but as of the statement's release, Rayo Vallecano had still not officially received that denial decision.

Rayo Vallecano stated that the club had filed an appeal, but the appeal was against the termination of the stadium concession, not the suspension itself. The club also emphasized that the Madrid Community had never requested any specific remedial work from them, but had simply refused to lift the suspension.

Therefore, Rayo Vallecano stated emphatically in its statement: "The actions of the competent authorities are not driven by the principle of legality, but are serving other interests".

The club also linked the dispute to the Madrid Community's comprehensive stadium renewal plan for Vallecas, proposed in June of this year. Rayo Vallecano stated that the other party's logic was: either the club accepts this comprehensive renewal plan with a total investment of over 60 million euros and continues as the stadium concessionaire, or the current concession will be terminated.

Rayo Vallecano noted that the existing concession was originally valid until June 30, 2039, and could be extended until June 30, 2049, upon club request. However, the club does not support the renewal plan proposed by the Madrid Community because, according to the plan, the stadium capacity would increase from approximately 15,000 to around 18,000.

In concluding the statement, Rayo Vallecano emphasized that the club had submitted the latest report on the security situation of Vallecas stadium facilities, and LaLiga also issued an emergency report on August 15, confirming that the club fully complied with stadium regulations and that no deficiencies were found.

Rayo Vallecano therefore reiterated that since the audit report was created in December 2024, the Madrid Community had never requested the club to take corrective measures for the alleged problems. Therefore, the Madrid Community's Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports should be held accountable for the fact that the match against Alavés was not played at Vallecas; and if the match against Racing Santander also cannot be played at home, responsibility should fall to them as well.

However, Mariano de Paco, head of the Madrid Community's Department of Culture, Tourism and Sports, presented a completely different version. He stated that Rayo Vallecano had "wasted more than a month" by not submitting the required documents to the administration, and that the club was now rushing to rectify the situation.

De Paco emphasized that the Madrid Community would not currently provide a specific timeline for Rayo Vallecano's return to Vallecas stadium, and that safety remains the only priority.

He said: "Once the Madrid Community obtains an audit report confirming the stadium's safety – and not simply relying on Rayo Vallecano's own assessment – the stadium will be reopened."

"We certainly hope that Rayo Vallecano can return to playing at its stadium as soon as possible, but only on the condition that the stadium meets the necessary standards and is properly maintained."

Traduzido por IA.

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