Rayo Vallecano Promoted Makes Four Madrid Clubs In La Liga

June 24, 2021 Madrid Metropolitan living in madrid, madrid news, spanish football

Rayo Vallecano have won promotion to La Liga after defeating Girona 2-0 away last weekend and overcoming a 2-1 deficit from the first leg of the promotion playoff.

All the more impressive as Rayo were able to hold on, despite being a man down from the 56th minute.

Rayo suffered relegation from La Liga in 2019, but Basque manager Andoni Iraola, has turned the Vallecas club around.

The season has seen a variety of off-field issues, including failure to pay player wages, failure to compensate fans for season tickets, as well as numerous injuries and COVID-19 restrictions which saw the clubs income plummet.

The Madrid regional premier, Isabel Diaz Ayuso, received the delighted team on Sunday at the Real Casa de Correos, where she was given a team shirt.

She congratulated the team on their promotion – ” you are back where you belong” she said.

Later the team visited Cibeles for a reception with Madrid´s Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who echoes the sentiments saying that the club ” has returned to where it derserves to be.”

Rayo´s return to La Liga mean that next season will see all three of the capitals football teams playing in the top flight of Spanish football in addition to Getafe which is outside the capital but inside the Madrid autonomous community.

The Liga´s Second Division hosts another three teams from the Madrid region; Alcorcon, Fuenlabrada and Leganes.