History of Rayo Vallecano in Timeline

Rayo Vallecano, officially Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, S.A.D., is a professional football club located in the Puente de Vallecas district of Madrid, Spain. They currently compete in La Liga, the highest division of Spanish football.

May 1924: Rayo Vallecano Founded

On May 29, 1924, Rayo Vallecano was founded in the hometown of Prudencia Priego, the wife of the club's first president, Julián Huerta.

1949: Addition of Red Stripe and Promotion to Tercera División

In 1949, Rayo Vallecano added a red diagonal stripe to the team's kit, inspired by River Plate, after an agreement with Atlético Madrid. The club also reached Tercera División for the first time in its history in 1949.

1949: Affiliate of Atlético Madrid

In 1949, Rayo Vallecano became an affiliate of Atlético Madrid for the 1949-50 season.

May 1976: Opening of Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas

On May 10, 1976, Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas opened and was initially named "New Stadium Vallecas".

1976: Home matches at Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas

In 1976, Rayo Vallecano began playing their home matches at the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium, which has a capacity of 14,708.

1982: Copa del Rey Semi-Finals

In February 2022, Iraola's side defeated RCD Mallorca to make the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1982.

1983: Relegation to Segunda División B

The 1983–84 season was the worst during the 1980s. The club finished in last position in Segunda División and was relegated to Segunda División B.

1989: Laurie Cunningham's Death

In 1989, Laurie Cunningham died in a car crash outside of Madrid, marking the end of his time with Rayo Vallecano after just one season.

1991: Arrival of the Ruiz-Mateos Family

In January 2004, the name of the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium changed, 13 years after the arrival of the Ruiz-Mateos family in 1991.

1999: Promotion to Top Flight Status

In 1999, Rayo Vallecano appeared to have consolidated their top flight status after gaining promotion.

2000: UEFA Cup Qualification

In 2000, Rayo Vallecano qualified for the UEFA Cup.

2003: Relegation

In 2003, Rayo Vallecano suffered a relegation.

January 2004: Stadium Name Change

In January 2004, the name of the Campo de Fútbol de Vallecas stadium changed, after the arrival of the Ruiz-Mateos family in 1991.

2004: Relegation

In 2004, Rayo Vallecano suffered a relegation.

2005: Míchel Hired as Manager

In 2005, Míchel, a Real Madrid legend, was hired as manager of Rayo Vallecano.

2006: Segunda División B Season

In the 2006–07 season, Rayo Vallecano finished in second place in Segunda División B. They won the promotion play-off semifinal but lost in the final.

June 2009: Plans for a New Stadium

In June 2009, Rayo Vallecano announced plans for the construction of a new stadium.

2010: Promotion to Top Flight

In the 2010–11 season, Rayo Vallecano ranked in second position and returned to the top flight after an eight-year absence.

2011: Participation in Spanish Protests

In late March 2012, the Rayo Vallecano squad took one day off training to join demonstrations supporting the 2011–12 Spanish protests.

March 2012: Participation in Spanish Protests

In late March 2012, the Rayo Vallecano squad took one day off training to join demonstrations supporting the 2011–12 Spanish protests.

2013: Sponsorship agreement with Qbao

In 2013, Rayo Vallecano entered a sponsorship agreement with Qbao, with the goal of expanding the club's profile overseas.

March 2014: Huawei Sponsorship Agreement

In March 2014, Huawei agreed to sponsor Rayo Vallecano for two league matches against Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao.

2014: Support for Carmen Martinez Ayudo

In 2014, Rayo Vallecano and its fanbase aided Carmen Martinez Ayudo, an 85-year-old local woman, after she was evicted from her home, displaying banners at a match to protest evictions.

July 2015: Unveiling of Rainbow Kit

In July 2015, Rayo Vallecano unveiled a new kit featuring a rainbow, with each color representing a different social cause. The Bukaneros criticized it as a cynical move by management.

August 2015: Purchase of Oklahoma City FC

In August 2015, Rayo Vallecano purchased the majority of Oklahoma City FC and renamed the club to Rayo OKC.

2015: La Liga Season

Rayo Vallecano finished 18th in the 2015–16 La Liga season.

May 2016: Relegation to Segunda División

In May 2016, Rayo Vallecano was relegated to the Segunda División, finishing 18th in the 2015–16 La Liga season, ending their five-year streak in La Liga.

February 2017: Roman Zozulya Incident

In February 2017, Ukrainian player Roman Zozulya left Rayo Vallecano after one training session due to chants by fans accusing him of far-right affiliations.

2017: Appointment of David Cobeño and Promotion to La Liga

At the start of the 2017–18 Segunda División season, David Cobeño was appointed as the sporting director. The club secured their promotion with a 1–0 win over CD Lugo.

2017: Segunda División Title

In 2017, Rayo Vallecano won the Segunda División.

March 2019: Paco Jémez Appointed as Head Coach

On March 20, 2019, Paco Jémez was appointed as head coach of Rayo Vallecano.

December 2019: Match Abandoned Due to Zozulya Chants

In December 2019, a Segunda División match against Albacete Balompié was abandoned at half-time after Rayo Vallecano supporters chanted "Zozulya, you are a Nazi!" at Roman Zozulya. The league, both clubs, and the referee agreed to suspend the game.

August 2020: Andoni Iraola Appointed as Head Coach

In August 2020, Andoni Iraola was appointed as head coach of Rayo Vallecano.

2021: Promotion to La Liga

In 2021, Rayo Vallecano won promotion in the playoffs against Girona FC and returned to La Liga.

February 2022: Copa del Rey Semi-Finals

In February 2022, Iraola's side defeated RCD Mallorca to make the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time since 1982.

2023: No Known Plans for New Stadium

As far as it is known in 2023, the Autonomous Community of Madrid, the owner of the stadium, does not have any known plans for the construction of a new stadium.

2024: Qualified for European Football

In the 2024-25 season, Rayo Vallecano qualified for European football after 24 years, entering into the UEFA Conference League play-offs by finishing 8th.

September 2025: Bukaneros involvement in pro-Palestinian protests

In September 2025, members of the Bukaneros were reported to have acted as part of a security detail escorting Podemos leaders Ione Belarra and Irene Montero during pro-Palestinian protests at the end of a stage of Vuelta a España in Madrid. The protests involved clashes with police, with 22 officers injured and two people arrested.