Out of Vallecas, Rayo Vallecano turns to Leganes amid stadium safety fears

Rayo Vallecano, a Spanish club, will be playing its first home game of the season at Leganes' stadium due to safety concerns at their own Vallecas Stadium. The club had been seeking an alternate venue after Vallecas Stadium was deemed unsafe by local authorities. Rayo had considered playing at Burgos, a city 125 miles from their southern Madrid base, but ultimately chose Leganes.

The Leganes club agreed to host Rayo "given the delicate situation" affecting Vallecas, provided certain minimum guarantees were met to protect the interests of both clubs and their fans. Rayo is one of the most outdated teams in Spain, lacking direct online ticket sales and needing stadium renovations to meet safety standards. Despite these issues, Rayo finished eighth in the league last season and reached the Conference League final, which they lost to Crystal Palace. Their season will kick off against Sevilla on Saturday.