Rayo Vallecano v Athletic Club abandoned after protests over Raul Martin Presa

Rayo Vallecano’s La Liga match against Athletic Club was abandoned after home supporters repeatedly threw paper planes and other objects on to the pitch in protest against club president and owner Raul Martin Presa.

The first interruption came in the 13th minute, when supporters launched objects into the playing area and Rayo Vallecano’s players moved towards the touchline.

An announcement inside the stadium warned at 20 minutes that the match could be suspended permanently if the protests continued. Play resumed in the 24th minute, but was halted again shortly afterwards as fans continued to chant against Presa.

Rayo Vallecano players Oscar Valentin and Isi Palazon were seen speaking to members of Bukaneros, one of the club’s ultras groups, during the disruption.

The players later returned to the pitch to warm up before the match restarted following a stoppage of about 10 minutes. However, more objects were thrown within seconds, prompting another suspension.

The referee then spoke to police officers, both sets of coaches and other officials before instructing the players to leave the field. Athletic Club’s players applauded their travelling supporters as they departed.

Rayo Vallecano confirmed on X that the referee had abandoned the game permanently following a recommendation from the police. The match ended amid disorder and continued protests in the stands at Vallecas.

La Liga said in a statement issued minutes later: “La Liga strongly condemns this behaviour, which puts safety at risk and prevents the competition from proceeding normally. The new date for the match will be announced soon.”

Return to Vallecas overshadowed by stadium dispute

The protests came during Rayo Vallecano’s first home La Liga fixture of the season. The club had been forced to play its previous matches in Leganes after Vallecas, in Madrid’s Vallecas district, was closed because of safety concerns and its deteriorating condition.

Most Rayo Vallecano supporters had boycotted the matches played in Leganes in protest against the situation surrounding the stadium. Their demands for Presa to leave were also heard during a friendly match last week, while the words “Presa, leave now” were written on walls around the presidential box.

Before the fixture, Mariano de Paco, Madrid’s regional sports minister, called for calm. In a social media message, he said Rayo Vallecano would get the stadium it deserved, in an attempt to ease tensions before the match.

Those tensions instead escalated inside Vallecas, with repeated stoppages caused by objects thrown from the stands before the referee brought the game to an early end on 10 October 2026.