Rayo Vallecano: The surprise package in European competition this season
I think we can all agree that the Conference League has been a breath of fresh air since its introduction in 2021.
While European heavyweights such as Roma and Chelsea have won the competition since then, it has also provided an opportunity for those lower down the food chain to enjoy some continental football.
Even for the more established teams, who will likely never win the Champions League, Europe’s third tier competition is a chance to capture silverware.
West Ham United had their moment in Prague in 2023. Olympiacos became the first Greek side to win a major European competition a year later.
Will Rayo Vallecano have their moment in 2026? Consistently overshadowed by Madrid neighbors Atlético and Real, Los Franjirrojos have the chance to do something neither the aforementioned duo can do this term – win top UEFA club honours!
This is just Rayo’s second ever European campaign, with their last coming 25 years ago, when they reached the quarter-finals of the old UEFA Cup.
The Conference League provides a platform for clubs in the far corners of Europe to shine, but for modest Rayo, success would be extra special given how the club has operated in recent years.
A poorly run club on the brink of glory
Rayo owner and president Raúl Martín Presa has been battling with the supporters for years. In August 2025, certain fan groups published a statement that criticised the management of the club, with Presa being the main culprit.
“Everything else fails, shrinks, and there is only one culprit: the one who manages our entity and the small cohort of flatterers surrounding him”. Read the statement and truth be told, the fans had every right to complain.
Rayo’s home ground, the Vallecas stadium, has not been renovated since being built in the mid-70s. As such, parts of the stadium are in a derelict condition, often with no running hot water for either players or supporters.
Even the training ground has issues, with the players having to train elsewhere in pre-season because of a fungal infection in the grass.
Things unravelled back in February ahead of the clash against Atlético. Due to complaints from both fans and players, the game was moved from Vallecas to Butarque stadium, the home ground of second tier Leganés.
Despite the fact there were only 5,000 fans travelling for the match, Rayo sealed a stunning 3-0 victory.
Ahead of the Conference League semi-final first leg against Strasbourg, fans had to queue from Monday morning to secure a ticket, despite no specific time being given for when they were going on sale.
Rayo also don’t have an online box office. How then, have they managed to get here, standing on the cusp of a major European final?
Head coach Iñigo Pérez is the man behind the success.
Iñigo Pérez is the man leading Rayo’s European adventure
The 38-year-old was appointed manager in February 2024 and immediately proved to be a success, keeping Rayo in LaLiga by five points.
This was the catalyst for all that has followed. Last season, Rayo finished eighth in the Spanish top flight, thus securing a place in the Conference League this term.
Pérez’s men may have only scored 41 goals throughout the last league campaign, but outside the top-four, they boasted the third-best defensive record, conceding 45 times.
“Our idea is to win the ball back as soon as possible, and then to attack very quickly,” said Pérez during an interview with the Athletic last November.
“For the opposition never to get comfortable on the pitch. That’s what I like at Rayo — high pressing, direct play, dynamic positions, structures, a kind of ordered chaos to create chances and score goals.”
His system clearly worked a treat, with Rayo scoring five goals across four matches against Real Madrid and Barcelona.
This season, although safety remains the ultimate priority – Rayo sit 11th at the time of writing – the chance of lifting a major trophy would be Pérez’s crowning glory.
Rayo defeated Belarusian side Neman Grodno 5-0 on aggregate to reach the league phase of the Conference League, but it didn’t take them long to make their mark in the competition proper.
Indeed, wins over Shkëndija (Macedonia), Lech Poznan, Jagiellonia (both Polish) and FC Drita (of Kosovo) helped the Spanish side finish fifth, suffering only one defeat in the process.
The knockout stage is where things began to get fun. A 3-2 aggregate victory over Turkish outfit Samsunspor set up a quarter-final meeting with Greek giants AEK Athens.
Fairytale over surely. Not quite. A spectacular 3-0 home win ensured Rayo went to Greece with a massive advantage. Despite the 3-1 loss in Athens, Pérez had led his side to their first ever European semi-final.
A header from centre-forward Alemão gave Rayo a 1-0 advantage that they will take into the second leg against Strasbourg tonight – Thursday evening.
Their success in the competition is no fluke. Not only do Rayo rank second out of all teams for goals per game (1.9), but they also rank third for shots on target per game (5.6) in the competition.
Confidence is building and while the atmosphere at the Stade de la Meinau will be boisterous during the second leg, Perez and his team will be determined to reach the final in Leipzig on May 27.
Both Real and Atlético will finish the season trophyless. As for Rayo, they could have bragging rights of the capital, even if it is only for a fleeting moment.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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