Consistently intense, inconsistently brilliant – Rayo Vallecano

Depth has turn out to be synonymous with modernity within the Premier League. In England, the overall pattern is to speed up the tempo, and soccer within the British Isles has at all times prized bodily capability in any respect ranges.

That appeared to to suit completely with Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, or Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea, who redefined playmaking by inserting elevated emphasis on what occurred with out the ball. Below Andoni Iraola, Rayo Vallecano had been one of many few groups in La Liga to efficiently implement the thought. Just a few months after his departure to Bournemouthhis assistant Inigo Perez took his seat in Vallecas. Since then, a phrase stays from his tenure: depth.

Traditionally characterised by a neighborhood and left-wing fanbase with a stadium situated on the coronary heart of Vallekas, Rayo Vallecano isn’t a membership like some other. Likewise, it’s a membership run like no different. The President, Raul Martin Presa, of the other political wing, has frequently clashed with the fanbase. Perez, like his predecessor, is conscious that in consequence, Rayo is a membership with deep logistical flaws. Usually been labelled as one of many worst away grounds in La Liga, the aged infrastructure has been the topic of prior evaluation, however is solely completely different article.

The anti-fascist followers of Rayo Vallecano within the match in opposition to Actual Madrid: “Our capital? La Villa de Vallecas.” pic.twitter.com/HM59kvduuW

— Fonsi Louza (@FonsiLiation) November

There is no such thing as a denying that these deep flaws create a mysterious romanticism across the membership. Perez is aware of it higher than anybody. “Due to the shortage of constructionthe coach is concerned in selections throughout many alternative areas and departments… Rayo is possibly the most effective membership in La Liga to develop as a coach. I couldn’t discover these explicit circumstances anyplace else,” he just lately advised The Athletic. These circumstances do permit a fanatical pursuit of Perez’s strategies, who’s simply as animated on the touchline as any of the Bukaneros ultras behind the Rayo aim. For Perez, tempo and depth comes first. His perception is that his aspect ought to look to steal the ball excessive, at which level they will eat up the house with fast-paced assaults.

Rayo are the antithesis of what many La Liga golf equipment have been doing in previous years. In a world of Getafes, the place Alaves and RCD Mallorca have sought solidity earlier than interested by being incisive, for the reason that Iraola period, Vallecas has opted for the other method. What permits the assist to get behind them so fervently is the essential requirement of the gamers, the one they worth most – coronary heart. If gamers don’t give it their all, always, these gaps seem in their very own aspect. The problem? Typically, a couple of particular person errors can upset a rigorously deliberate out domino impact, the prime instance coming in opposition to Lech Poznan within the Convention League, the place Rayo discovered themselves two objectives down, however overturned the deficit to a 3-2 victory within the final minute.

Álvaro García the hero for Rayo Vallecano 🤍❤️#UECL | @RayoVallecano pic.twitter.com/21juaygi31

— UEFA Convention League (@Conf_League) November 8, 2025

For Perez, all the things have to be intense. That a lot was evidenced by a current bust-up with right-back Ivan Balliu. “You play such as you prepare” matches snugly into soccer’s lengthy record of tropes, however Perez lives it. “It’s vital for every train to be very dynamic with a really excessive load and many tactical density.” Adapting his workouts based on the opponent, Perez has induced palpitations for each Barcelona and Actual Madrid. Los Blancos have taken simply three factors from their final 4 visits. The Catalans have a singular win in 5 visits since Rayo returned to La Liga in 2021. For a membership with the capability to spend 16 occasions lower than Actual Madrid, and seven.5 occasions lower than Barcelona, it’s punching a complete crew of boxers within the mouth.

Rayo gamers take pleasure in a singular relationship with the followers, which Perez is aware of from his native metropolis, Pamplona. Each can lay declare to genuinely distinctive relationships, bonding the world with the membership, because of the more and more uncommon stadium location on the social coronary heart of the neighbourhood. Perez’s type attracts within the twelfth man, and units them sprinting ahead in pursuit of the opposition. It additionally explains Rayo’s inconsistencies, when extremely group ‘Bukaneros’ boycott the stadium, be it resulting from disenchantment with Presa, or different common offences reminiscent of La Liga’s scheduling of video games on weekdays. But, when they’re there, in full voice, the membership is extra united than ever.

Readability is one other key part of Rayo’s success. Perez is incessant, and calls for that his gamers should ‘perceive why’ they play on this approach, his philosophy dictating that religion within the capability to make the appropriate choice comes forward of normal strategic indications. This can be a membership that feels because it thinks, a tradition that’s felt at the beginning by the gamers on the pitch. Combining bodily depth with psychological readability, Isi Palazon and Andrei Ratiu finest symbolize this interpretation of soccer.

Rayo Vallecano might not have the most effective squad, which refreshingly within the fashionable recreation, has not stopped them from giving the most effective groups a tough time. Perez noticed the failings in Barcelona’s present defensive struggles, and focused them in such stark trend that his method turned commonplace for each aspect for dealing with Hansi Flick’s excessive line. Conscious that Xabi Alonso remains to be formulating his concepts on the Bernabeu, Rayo didn’t simply fight Rael Madrid’s method, however pressured them into a wholly completely different recreation. The understanding of the choices out there, together with the reference level of his plan, and the non-negotiable tempo, offers their gamers a bonus from the primary minute.

There may be nothing ‘typical’ about Rayo Vallecano. But that is what created its attraction, and what has been weaponised by Perez in opposition to the remainder of La Liga. Vallekas is likely one of the few barrios in Madrid with such a staunch rejection of the 2 largest sharks within the metropolis. Its inconsistencies make it some of the thrilling golf equipment in Spain. After their draw with Actual Madrid, the Rayo followers demanded Perez return to the pitch after happening the tunnel, and upon his return, was greeted by chants asking him and Balliu to ‘kiss’, and in impact consummate their make-up. It’s an imperfect world in Vallecas, and but on this imperfection, Perez has discovered a deeply engrossing soccer romance.