Rayo Vallecano vs Athletic Club Abandoned as Fans Hurl Paper Planes in Anti-Owner Protest
Rayo Vallecano's La Liga fixture against Athletic Club was abandoned on Saturday after home supporters threw paper planes and small rubber balls onto the pitch in protest against the club's owner and president, Raul Martin Presa.
The game at the Estadio de Vallecas was Rayo's first of the season at their own ground, which had been temporarily closed following an audit that highlighted serious health and safety issues — including a risk of contracting Legionnaires' disease.
Protest halts play twice
Supporters have long blamed Presa for the poor upkeep of Vallecas and a failure to modernise the club. In the 13th minute — when Rayo fans typically chant "Presa leave now" — they began launching paper planes and rubber balls onto the field.
The referee stopped play, and the stadium announcer urged supporters not to throw objects onto the pitch while stewards hastily cleared the items from the grass. Play resumed roughly 15 minutes later, but fans in the south stand threw further objects onto the field, prompting the referee to abandon the match with the score goalless.
Supporters were also seen holding up scarves bearing the message "Presa leave now."
Athletic Club to arrange refunds
Following the abandonment, Athletic Club released a statement saying they would contact the fans who had travelled to Madrid for the game to arrange refunds.
Long-running grievances over conditions at Vallecas
The protest is the latest flashpoint in a long-running dispute over the state of the club's facilities. Last season, the Spanish football association published a letter written by Rayo's players that described the Vallecas pitch as "unplayable," while also noting a lack of hot water in the showers and inadequate cleaning.
The club began last season without being able to use their own training ground because of mould. Despite those difficulties, Rayo reached the final of the Uefa Conference League, where they lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace.
Supporters also regularly have to queue for hours to purchase match tickets at the stadium's small box office, as Rayo is the only top-flight Spanish club without a ticketing website.
The club's frustrations have been voiced by players in the recent past as well. In an interview published by the Guardian on 8 October 2026, forward Sergio Camello described Rayo as "the last team standing from football from another time" and spoke about what returning to a locked Estadio de Vallecas meant to him.
Where Rayo stand
On the pitch, Rayo sit 13th in La Liga with two wins from their opening seven games of the 2026-27 season.