Idman.biz
The Spanish football team "Rayo Vallecano" is preparing to make history in the final of the Conference League.
Idman.Biz reports that the Madrid representative will face the English football team "Crystal Palace" in today's decisive match. The meeting will take place in Leipzig and will start at 23:00 Baku time.
"Rayo Vallecano"'s rise to this level is particularly noteworthy. The club has one of the lowest budgets in La Liga and plays in one of the smallest stadiums in the Spanish championship. "Estadio de Vallecas" holds just over 14,000 fans.
The Madrid club's record transfer is worth 11 million euros (22 million AZN). Ticket sales at "Rayo Vallecano" are also conducted differently from modern European clubs - fans buy tickets from stadium ticket offices, not online. This leads to long queues in front of the ticket offices. The club shop is the size of a storage room.
The club's conditions have also been a topic of discussion for a long time. There have been serious problems with the team's stadium and training base, and the condition of the pitch has even been deemed unusable several times. Before the season, the base was closed for three months. The dilapidated stadium is full of rats, there are frequent water cuts and not enough electricity. Even the VAR system once failed because of this.
"The Guardian" wrote this season that "Rayo Vallecano" was forced to prepare on other fields due to problems with the training base and home stadium.
Despite all the difficulties, "Rayo Vallecano" reached the European Cup for the first time and reached the final. The Spanish representative has attracted attention on this path with its character, limited opportunities and fan loyalty.
The team's striker Sergio Camello called "Rayo Vallecano" "the last team from another era." In his opinion, the simplicity of this club, the old football environment and the connection with the fans create a special appeal.
"Crystal Palace", "Rayo Vallecano"'s opponent in the final, has spent approximately 21 times more money on transfers this season than the Madrid club. Nevertheless, "Rayo Vallecano" is one step away from the European title with a small budget and great character.
