There are a number of clubs that are now renowned for the chaos that reigns on an almost daily basis, but Rayo Vallecano are slowly climbing the ladder to take the title.
The club is in an open war with President Raul Martin Presa, who has underfunded the women’s team at Rayo as well as the youth teams. That goes hand-in-hand with the crumbling Vallecas stadium and regressive service to fans.
The fans lead regular protests, which have even seen captain Oscar Trejo publicly side with the support.
In spite of all that, Rayo have had a remarkably successful two years, winning promotion and then surviving relegation last season. However a large part of that success, manager Andoni Iraola, appears to be clashing with the President now.
According to ABC, Presa has struck a deal with former Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. That was agreed some time ago, but the deal has not gone through due to the protests of Iraola.
The Basque manager is frustrated that he was not consulted about Costa before negotiations took place and is now threatening to resign should the Hispano-Brazilian be signed.
If Rayo were to lose Iraola, it would be a potentially fatal blow for their season. His work has built a successful and fluid team at Vallecas – without him, they may struggle to replicate their form from the last campaign.
