Refurbishment, painting and new roofs. The first phase of work on Rayo Vallecano's home ground starts today. The investment, of an urgent nature, aims to guarantee the safety of the fans until the second phase begins in 2027.

2 million for a long list of works

Although the new anti-panic doors were installed at Estadio de Vallecas in March, it is today, on Tuesday, the 1st of April, when the first phase of works begins. It will include the most urgent works, which are not few: renovation of bathrooms, elimination of rust, painting of stairs, replacement of false ceilings, repair of cracks and fissures, elimination of damp and also replacement of the two roofs, which will begin at the end of the league so as not to affect the capacity.

The improvements, to which the Community of Madrid has earmarked €2M, will take a total of around six months and are a relief for the Rayistas, who have long been denouncing the decreasing state of the venue, poor management and lack of investment by the club.

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Rayo fans showcased the amount of trash accumulated in the stadium in response to club president’s words, who stated that some fans gather trash to take photos and upload them on social media.

A multifunctional (and possibly abandoned) stadium

The Community's plan, however, is to undertake a more far-reaching project with a firm objective: to convert Campo de Vallecas into a multifunctional stadium. This second phase does not yet have a project, budget or schedule, and will be carried out during the next legislature, that is, from 2027. The way it is announced indicates a substantial renovation.

Despite the Community's efforts to improve the state of the stadium, Rayo Vallecano's president, Raúl Martín Presa, insists on moving out. We have a terrible affection for it, he says, but adds: if we don't take action, it will be Rayo's doom.

But the fans will not allow it. After the Madrid City Council decided to mark the old pipe factory to the construction of residential buildings, there is no more room in the neighbourhood to build another stadium, and a Rayo Vallecano based outside Vallecas is something that sounds like a nightmare to the rayistas.

© Stephan Hoogerwaard | In addition to dirtiness and trash everywhere, Rayo Vallecano’s stadium shows structural damage.