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Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D. (), often abbreviated to Rayo (Spanish for "thunderbolt"), is a Spanish professional football club based in the Villa de Vallecas district of Madrid. The club competes in La Liga, the top flight of Spanish football.
Founded on 29 May 1924, the club is known for its sociocultural tradition, recognized for representing the barrio-local culture and its Working class status. Its home matches have been played at the 14,708-capacity Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium since 1976.
During its history, Rayo has spent 22 seasons in the top-flight, and has played in two European competitions, the UEFA Cup in the 2000–01 season and the 2025–26 UEFA Conference League. The club won the 2017–18 Segunda División. By historical performance, Rayo is the third best club in Community of Madrid, after Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid.
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.
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 SD 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 CF in the semi-final and Zamora CF 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. Dona Teresa takes off mask ; Football Scouting, 1 March 2011 Unpaid Rayo have sights set on La Liga payday ; Reuters, 30 March 2011 Los jugadores del Rayo Vallecano seguirán sin cobrar (Rayo Vallecano players will still not be paid) ; El Correo Gallego, 26 February 2011
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.
N.B. Affiliate of Atlético Madrid in 1949–50
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.
Supporters of the club have come into conflict with clubs of opposing ideologies: Rayo Vallecano fans have violently clashed with right-wing nationalist supporters, including Polish clubs Jagiellonia Białystok and Lech Poznań, during encounters that both occurred in 2025.
In September 2025, members of the Bukaneros were reported to have acted as part of a security detail escorting Podemos leaders Ione Belarra and Irene Montero during pro-Palestinian protests at the end of a stage of Vuelta a España in Madrid. The group was coordinated by lawyer Erlantz Ibarrondo, a long-standing figure on the Spanish radical left, and included other Bukaneros supporters. The protests involved clashes with police, with 22 officers injured and two people arrested, and led to the suspension of the stage finish and award ceremony in Plaza de Cibeles. The Bukaneros and legal team were present to prevent the political leaders from being crowded or attacked by other demonstrators.
The fanbase is independent and frequently opposes the club's management. Rayo Vallecano's fans do not have a good relationship with the current owner Raúl Martín Presa and regularly chant for him to leave. In July 2015, Rayo Vallecano unveiled a new kit featuring a rainbow , with each colour representing a different social cause: red for those fighting cancer, orange for disability integration, yellow for hope, green for environmental protection, blue against child abuse, indigo against domestic abuse, and violet for LGBTQ+ equality. Part of the proceeds from kit sales were pledged to these causes. While broadly praised by the public, the Bukaneros criticised it as cynical and superficial move by management and accused management of not genuinely supporting those causes.
The club is also known for chanting the song "La Vida Pirata" (), a song about pirates, which the Bukaneros are named after.
Regional Titles
| { class="wikitable" | ||||
| 1940–41 | 5 | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1941–42 | 4 | 4th !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1942–43 | 4 | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1943–44 | 4 | 7th !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1944–45 | 5 | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1945–46 | 4 | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1946–47 | 4 | 10th !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1947–48 | 4 | 6th !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1948–49 | 4 | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | ||
| 1949–50 | 3 | 3ª | 14th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1950–51 | 3 | 3ª | 13th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1951–52 | 3 | 3ª | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1952–53 | 3 | 3ª | 7th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1953–54 | 3 | 3ª | 17th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1954–55 | 3 | 3ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1955–56 | 3 | 3ª | 1st !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1956–57 | 2 | 2ª | 12th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1957–58 | 2 | 2ª | 6th !style="background:#efefef; | |
| 1958–59 | 2 | 2ª | 14th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1959–60 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1960–61 | 2 | 2ª | 16th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1961–62 | 3 | 3ª | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1962–63 | 3 | 3ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1963–64 | 3 | 3ª | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1964–65 | 3 | 3ª | 1st !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1965–66 | 2 | 2ª | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1966–67 | 2 | 2ª | 6th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1967–68 | 2 | 2ª | 4th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 1968–69 | 2 | 2ª | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | |
| 1969–70 | 2 | 2ª | 6th !style="background:#efefef; | Round of 32 |
| 1970–71 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 1971–72 | 2 | 2ª | 8th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1972–73 | 2 | 2ª | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1973–74 | 2 | 2ª | 14th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 1974–75 | 2 | 2ª | 8th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1975–76 | 2 | 2ª | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | Second round |
| 1976–77 | 2 | 2ª | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1977–78 | 1 | La Liga | 10th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1978–79 | 1 | La Liga | 15th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 1979–80 | 1 | La Liga | 16th !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| { class="wikitable" | ||||
| 1980–81 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| 1981–82 | 2 | 2ª | 7th !style="background:#efefef;" | Semi-finals |
| 1982–83 | 2 | 2ª | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 1983–84 | 2 | 2ª | 20th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1984–85 | 3 | 2ª B | 1st !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1985–86 | 2 | 2ª | 15th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1986–87 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1987–88 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 1988–89 | 2 | 2ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1989–90 | 1 | La Liga | 20th !style="background:#efefef;" | Second round |
| 1990–91 | 2 | 2ª | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fifth round |
| 1991–92 | 2 | 2ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1992–93 | 1 | La Liga | 14th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1993–94 | 1 | La Liga | 17th !style="background:#efefef;" | Fourth round |
| 1994–95 | 2 | 2ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| 1995–96 | 1 | La Liga | 19th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 1996–97 | 1 | La Liga | 18th !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| 1997–98 | 2 | 2ª | 8th !style="background:#efefef;" | Second round |
| 1998–99 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | First round |
| 1999–2000 | 1 | La Liga | 9th !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| 2000–01 | 1 | La Liga | 14th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2001–02 | 1 | La Liga | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Quarter-finals |
| 2002–03 | 1 | La Liga | 20th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 64 |
| 2003–04 | 2 | 2ª | 21st !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 64 |
| 2004–05 | 3 | 2ª B | 3rd !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 64 |
| 2005–06 | 3 | 2ª B | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 2006–07 | 3 | 2ª B | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2007–08 | 3 | 2ª B | 1st !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 2008–09 | 2 | 2ª | 5th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2009–10 | 2 | 2ª | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2010–11 | 2 | 2ª | 2nd !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 2011–12 | 1 | La Liga | 15th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2012–13 | 1 | La Liga | 8th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2013–14 | 1 | La Liga | 12th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2014–15 | 1 | La Liga | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2015–16 | 1 | La Liga | 18th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2016–17 | 2 | 2ª | 12th !style="background:#efefef;" | Third round |
| 2017–18 | 2 | 2ª | 1st !style="background:#efefef;" | Second round |
| 2018–19 | 1 | La Liga | 20th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2019–20 | 2 | 2ª | 7th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| { class="wikitable" | ||||
| 2020–21 | 2 | 2ª | 6th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2021–22 | 1 | La Liga | 12th !style="background:#efefef;" | Semi-finals |
| 2022–23 | 1 | La Liga | 11th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 32 |
| 2023–24 | 1 | La Liga | 17th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2024–25 | 1 | La Liga | 8th !style="background:#efefef;" | Round of 16 |
| 2025–26 | 1 | La Liga | !style="background:#efefef;"Round of 16 |
| 2000–01 UEFA Cup | Qualifying round | Constel·lació Esportiva | 6–0 | 10–0 | 16–0 |
| First round | Molde FK | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
| Second round | Viborg FF | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 (a) | |
| Third round | Lokomotiv Moscow | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | |
| Fourth round | Bordeaux | 4–1 | 2–1 | 6–2 | |
| Quarter-finals | Alavés | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 | |
| 2025–26 UEFA Conference League | Play-off round | Neman Grodno | 4–0 | 1–0 | 5–0 |
| League phase | Shkëndija | 2–0 | 5th | ||
| BK Häcken | 2–2 | ||||
| Lech Poznań | 3–2 | ||||
| Slovan Bratislava | 1–2 | ||||
| Jagiellonia Białystok | 2–1 | ||||
| FC Drita | 3–0 | ||||
| Round of 16 | TBD |
| { class="wikitable" | |
| 1944–46 | Cayetano Sardinero |
| 1946–47 | Julián Antón |
| 1947–48 | Luis Pérez |
| 1948–49 | Tomás Rodríguez Rubio |
| 1949–50 | Ramón de la Fuente |
| 1950–51 | Anselmo Nogales |
| 1951–52 | Félix Huete |
| 1952–53 | Lorenzo Sánchez Villar |
| 1954–55 | Cándido Machado |
| 1953–54 | Patricio Sánchez Calleja |
| 1954–55 | Manuel Alepuz |
| 1955–56 | Cándido Machado |
| 1956–58 | Ramón Colón |
| 1958 | Cándido Machado |
| 1958–59 | Lino Taioli |
| 1959 | Heriberto Herrera |
| 1959–60 | Ramón Colón |
| 1960 | Alfonso Aparicio |
| 1960–61 | Martín Camino |
| 1961 | Ramón Cobo |
| 1961 | Joseíto |
| 1961–64 | Herrero |
| 1964–67 | Pedro Eguiluz |
| July 1967 – June 1969 | José Antonio Olmedo |
| July 1969 – Feb 1971 | Manuel Peñalva |
| Feb 1971 – Jun 1972 | Enrique Orizaola |
| style="vertical-align:top;"|
| Jul 1972 – Jan 1973 | Manuel Vences |
| Jan 1973 – Jun 1974 | José Antonio Olmedo |
| Jun 1974 – Jun 1975 | Héctor Núñez |
| Jun 1975 – Feb 1976 | Alfredo Di Stéfano |
| Feb – Jun 1976 | José Antonio Olmedo |
| Jul 1976 – Jun 1977 | García Verdugo |
| Jun 1977 – Jun 1978 | Héctor Núñez |
| Jul 1978 – Jun 1979 | Eduardo González |
| Jun 1979 – Feb 1980 | Héctor Núñez |
| Feb – Jun 1980 | Rafael Iriondo |
| Jun 1980 – Dec 1981 | Eduardo González |
| Dec 1981 – Jun 1982 | Manuel Peñalva |
| Jun 1982 – Jun 1983 | Juanjo García |
| Jul – Nov 1983 | Máximo Hernández |
| Nov 1983 – Jun 1984 | Antonio Ruiz |
| 1984–85 | Eduardo Caturla |
| 1985–87 | Héctor Núñez |
| Jul 1987 – Jan 1990 | Felines |
| Jan – Jun 1990 | Emilio Cruz |
| Jul 1990 – Feb 1992 | Eusebio Ríos |
| Feb 1992 – Jun 1993 | José Antonio Camacho |
| Jul – Nov 1993 | Felines |
| Nov 1993 – Feb 1994 | Fernando Zambrano |
| Feb – Nov 1994 | David Vidal |
| Nov 1994 – Jun 1995 | Paquito |
| Jun – Oct 1995 | Pedro Mari Zabalza |
| style="vertical-align:top;"|
| Oct 1995 – Apr 1996 | Marcos Alonso |
| July 1996 – Feb 1997 | Paquito |
| Feb – Mar 1997 | Fernando Zambrano |
| Mar – Jun 1997 | Máximo Hernández |
| 1997–98 | Josu Ortuondo |
| Jul 1998 – Jun 2001 | Juande Ramos |
| Jul – Oct 2001 | Andoni Goikoetxea |
| Oct 2001 – Jun 2002 | Gregorio Manzano |
| July 2002 – Jan 2003 | Fernando Vázquez |
| Feb – Apr 2003 | Gustavo Benítez |
| Apr – Jun 2003 | Antonio Iriondo |
| Jun – Nov 2003 | Julen Lopetegui |
| Nov 2003 – Feb 2004 | Jorge D'Alessandro |
| Feb – Jun 2004 | Txetxu Rojo |
| Jun 2004 – Jun 2005 | Carlos Orúe |
| Jul 2005 – Jun 2006 | Míchel |
| Jun 2006 – Feb 2010 | Pepe Mel |
| Feb – Jun 2010 | Felipe Miñambres |
| Jul 2010 – Jun 2012 | José Ramón Sandoval |
| Jul 2012 – May 2016 | Paco Jémez |
| Jun – Nov 2016 | José Ramón Sandoval |
| Nov 2016 – Feb 2017 | Rubén Baraja |
| Feb 2017 – Mar 2019 | Míchel |
| Mar 2019 – Aug 2020 | Paco Jémez |
| Aug 2020 – Jun 2023 | Andoni Iraola |
| Jul 2023 – Feb 2024 | Francisco |
| { class="wikitable" | |
| 1924–26 | Julián Huerta |
| 1926–27 | José Montoya |
| 1927–28 | Galo Andrés |
| 1929–30 | José Antonio Sánchez |
| 1930–31 | Anastasio Sánchez |
| 1931–36 | Ángel Martínez |
| style = "vertical-align:top;"|
| 1939–43 | Miguel Rodríguez Alzola |
| 1943–46 | Ezequiel Huerta |
| 1946–48 | José Rodríguez Rubio |
| 1948–55 | Miguel Rodríguez Alzola |
| 1955–58 | Jerónimo Martínez |
| 1958–61 | Tomás Esteras |
| style = "vertical-align:top;"|
| 1961–65 | Iván Roiz |
| 1965–73 | Pedro Roiz |
| 1973–78 | Marcelino Gil |
| 1978–80 | Francisco Encinas |
| 1980–81 | Luis Quer |
| 1981–89 | Francisco Fontán |
| style = "vertical-align:top;"|
| 1989–91 | Pedro García Jiménez |
| 1991–94 | José María Ruiz Mateos |
| 1994–2011 | Teresa Rivero |
| 2011– | Raúl Martín Presa |
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.
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