Rayo Vallecano fans protest in Vallecas as Agrupación de Peñas demands Martín Presa resign
Rayo Vallecano fans protest in Vallecas as ADRV demands Raúl Martín Presa leave; audit finds 20 safety faults, stadium secured to 2060 and legal steps begin.
More than 500 Rayo Vallecano fans gathered in Vallecas on Tuesday evening in a demonstration organized by the Agrupación de Peñas del Rayo Vallecano (ADRV), demanding the resignation of club president Raúl Martín Presa. The Rayo Vallecano fans protest began outside the Payaso Fofó venue and swelled into a sustained occupation of club precincts, with supporters carrying banners and blocking access to offices and locker-room entrances. Organizers displayed a banner reading, “Solo queremos fuera de VK a Martín Presa,” and opened an assembly shortly after 19:15 when turnout exceeded expectations. The demonstration forms part of a broader campaign by supporters to force changes in club governance and to press for improved stadium safety and fan participation in redevelopment plans.
Supporters occupy Payaso Fofó and headquarters
More than 500 supporters filled the Payaso Fofó space and streamed toward the club’s offices and locker-room areas, creating a dense encirclement of the club’s operational hub. Attendees chanted and held signs demanding respect and dignity for “rayismo,” and several groups formed to coordinate next steps and legal strategies. Organizers said they intentionally blocked routes from the dressing rooms to the administrative offices to ensure their message reached both players and executives. The turnout forced the assembly’s leaders to delay the official start until 19:15, reflecting that the protest had attracted a higher-than-expected number of fans.
Audit delivered to Comunidad reveals 20 safety deficiencies
The ADRV reported that it met with regional officials from the Comunidad de Madrid and presented an independent audit that identified 20 deficit points at the stadium. According to the supporters’ grouping, the Consejería de Cultura, Turismo y Deporte reviewed the findings and concluded that, despite recent restoration work, the stadium “does not yet meet the necessary conditions of dignified safety.” That assessment has strengthened the supporters’ case that the club must take immediate remedial action to ensure fan safety. The audit’s publication and the regional authority’s stance have become central arguments in the ADRV’s push for leadership change and accountability.
Regional authority ties concession return to presidential change
Following the audit, the Consejería communicated to the ADRV that it would not return the stadium concession while Raúl Martín Presa remains president of Rayo Vallecano. That position, relayed to the peñas, effectively links any formal handover of stadium rights to a change in the club’s top leadership. Supporters said the message from the Consejería adds significant political pressure on the club’s board because it places the future legal status of Vallecas’ stadium under regional oversight. The communication also clarified that regional officials view both physical safety and governance stability as factors in any future concession decision.
Vallecas secured until 2060; fans to have input on new stadium
In the discussions with regional authorities, the ADRV confirmed that the stadium site in Vallecas will remain designated for Rayo until 2060, offering a long-term guarantee of the club’s location. Officials also reportedly proposed that supporters should have a voice and a vote on design elements and amenities for a planned new stadium, with construction slated to begin in autumn 2027. The prospect of formal fan input into the redevelopment has been presented as an opportunity to ensure supporter priorities—safety, accessibility, and local identity—are embedded in the new facility. Supporters hailed the inclusion of participatory mechanisms as a partial victory even as they continue to demand broader governance changes.
Peñas mobilize politically and legally over season tickets
To ensure the longevity of these measures, the Agrupación de Peñas announced plans to meet with all opposition political parties and candidates for the regional government to build a cross-party consensus. The objective, the ADRV said, is to enshrine protections for the stadium and fan involvement in stadium redevelopment through political backing. Concurrently, the peñas issued a public and private communiqué to the club calling for the suspension of the season-ticket (abonos) campaign amid the prevailing uncertainty. The group has engaged FACUA, the consumer rights organization, and confirmed a legal team is preparing action to secure full reimbursement of season-ticket costs for those who renewed, while preserving seat numbers and seniority for affected supporters.
Protests escalate with proposed boycott of El Plantío in Burgos
During the assembly supporters adopted the refrain, “El Rayo juega de local en Vallecas, no en Burgos,” rejecting any notion of playing home fixtures away from their neighborhood. A majority at the meeting applauded the proposal to leave El Plantío—where the club has occasionally been asked to play—empty as a form of protest, signaling willingness to mount coordinated matchday actions. Supporters described the measure as symbolic, intended to underscore that Vallecas is the club’s true home and to deny any external authority the legitimacy of relocating fixtures without local consent. Organizers stressed that tactical escalation would be considered carefully and coordinated with legal advisers.
Supporters emphasized that their actions are aimed at preserving the club’s roots and ensuring transparency and safety, not at destabilizing the team’s competitive prospects. The ADRV framed the campaign as an appeal to institutional actors—club management, regional government, and political parties—to prioritize the interests of the fanbase and the neighborhood. Legal counsel engaged by the peñas is reportedly working to secure remedies that protect supporters who have already renewed season tickets, including full reimbursement where necessary while safeguarding seat continuity.
Club response and potential pathways forward
Club executives have been formally notified of the assembly’s demands and the petition to pause the season-ticket campaign, according to the peñas. The ADRV said it transmitted the message privately and publicly to maximize the chance of administrative engagement. At the same time, the regional authority’s linkage of concession return to a change in presidential leadership creates a complex governance dynamic that the club must now navigate with both legal and political savvy. Observers say the club faces a narrow window to engage constructively with supporters and regional authorities if it seeks to retain local goodwill and avoid protracted legal or public-relations disputes.
The possibility of fan representation in the planning of the new stadium, and the public acknowledgment of safety deficits by the Consejería, open an administrative route to concrete reforms. If the club accepts a mediated process that includes independent oversight of remedial works and structured fan input, it could address the principal grievances cited by the peñas. Conversely, a failure to accept proposed measures risks further escalation by the supporters, including boycotts, legal complaints, and intensified political lobbying aimed at blocking the concession’s return under current leadership.
Legal and consumer-rights strategy moves to the fore
The ADRV’s decision to involve FACUA and a team of lawyers signals a pivot from street-level protest to formal legal remedies. Supporters want clear mechanisms to guarantee that those who renewed season tickets are not financially disadvantaged by any disruption, while retaining their historical seat allocations. Legal actions could involve consumer-rights claims, challenges to the season-ticket sale process, or demands for enforcement of safety standards at the stadium. The involvement of an established consumer organization is likely to add procedural rigor to any complaints and could spur administrative inspections or sanctions if safety noncompliance is substantiated.
Meanwhile, political outreach by the peñas seeks to convert popular pressure into institutional leverage by securing commitments from opposition parties. That strategy aims to create a broad political coalition capable of influencing regional decisions about stadium concessions and oversight. Supporters expect a mixture of legal hearings, municipal or regional debates, and possible public consultations as the dispute moves from the stands into courtrooms and council chambers.
The demonstrators underscored that their mobilization is rooted in long-standing attachment to Vallecas and a desire to see the club managed in a way that reflects local values. For many attendees the protest combined immediate demands—resignation of the president and suspension of season-ticket sales—with longer-term goals centered on safety, fan participation, and the preservation of the club’s neighborhood identity.
The coming months are likely to be decisive: the regional authority’s posture, the club’s response to legal and public pressure, and the ADRV’s capacity to sustain unified fan action will determine whether the dispute is resolved through negotiation or becomes a prolonged conflict. Supporters say they will continue assembling, pursuing legal avenues, and pressing political representatives until they see clear, verifiable progress on safety improvements and governance changes.
