Rayo supporters demand public apology from Martín Presa before Elche match

With the match against Elche approaching, Rayo supporters are calling for a public apology from club leader Martín Presa. Representatives of the squad and club employees met fans and members of the board chaired by Raúl Martín Presa this week to seek a way out of the breakdown between supporters and the club’s ownership.

The demand includes an acknowledgment of the treatment that fans say they have faced in recent years. They trace the crisis to 28 July, when Rayo began playing at Butarque after the Comunidad de Madrid withdrew the concession for the Estadio de Vallecas. Tensions later led to the incidents that prompted the suspension of the match against Athletic Club de Bilbao on 10 October, after hundreds of rubber balls and paper planes were thrown onto the pitch.

In a statement, Plataforma ADRV and Federación de Peñas del Rayo praised the efforts of the players and employees to reach an agreement that would benefit the club’s future. They nevertheless called for a sincere apology and self-criticism from the board. Supporters are also seeking a refund for the proportion of the season ticket covering matches played at Butarque this season, before the end of the year, along with a freeze on season-ticket prices for next season.

The groups say these demands must be met without conditions before Saturday 24 October’s game against Elche at the Estadio de Vallecas. They want the club to make the agreement public and formalise its commitments to ease tensions ahead of the next round of matches. The statement also refers to supporters who, after protesting peacefully, face fines of thousands of euros. The groups describe a potential agreement as a first step towards negotiations among the different parts of the club.

Beñat San José, Rayo’s coach and the club’s most visible spokesperson during this period, said an internal meeting had taken place but that its contents were confidential. “We are making great efforts to resolve the situation and get things back to normal,” he said at a press conference on Thursday, highlighting the work of the squad, coaching staff and board.

San José also ruled out the possibility of a players’ strike against Elche. Asked about that prospect, he replied: “I can’t answer that, because it isn’t real. It isn’t something that has been discussed. We have to be careful about what is said.” The dispute between supporters and the board therefore remains central to discussions before the match, as fans wait for concrete commitments.