Saturday’s match between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Club was called off after home supporters protested against the club’s owner by throwing paper aeroplanes and rubber balls onto the field.
The La Liga fixture was Rayo’s first home game of the season at the Estadio de Vallecas. The ground had previously been shut temporarily after an inspection identified major health and safety concerns, including possible exposure to Legionnaires’ disease.
Supporters have held owner and president Raul Martin Presa responsible, with the businessman facing longstanding criticism over inadequate maintenance and the lack of improvements at the club.
During the 13th minute, traditionally the point when fans call for Presa to step down, paper aeroplanes and small rubber balls were thrown onto the playing surface.
The referee paused the match as an announcement warned spectators to stop throwing items, while stewards quickly cleared the debris from the pitch.
Play restarted after a 15-minute interruption, but fans in the south stand soon repeated the protest. With the score still 0-0, the referee brought the match to an end.
Athletic Club later announced that it would get in touch with supporters who had travelled to Madrid to organise ticket refunds.
What do you feel about this post?
Like
Love
Happy
Haha
Sad
