Rayo Vallecano

Infobox Football club
clubname = Rayo Vallecano


fullname = Rayo Vallecano de Madrid
nickname = Rayo
founded = May 29,1924
ground = Teresa Rivero
Madrid, Spain
capacity = 15.000
opened = 1976
chairman = flagicon|Spain María Teresa Rivero
mgrtitle = Manager
manager = flagicon|Spain Pepe Mel
league = Segunda División
season = 2007-08
position = 2ªB - Group 1 1st
shirtsupplier = Patrick
shirtsponsors = Clesa
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leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FFFFFF|rightarm1=FFFFFF|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FFFFFF
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_redrightsash|pattern_ra2=
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Rayo Vallecano de Madrid, often abbreviated to Rayo, is a Spanish "Segunda División" football club based in Madrid, Spain, in a neighbourhood named Vallecas. Their home ground is the 15,000-seat Teresa Rivero stadium.

History

One of the perennial yo-yo clubs of Spanish football, Rayo Vallecano spent many years during the 1980s and 1990s moving back and forth between "La Liga" and the "Segunda División". Having appeared to consolidate their top flight status with promotion in 1998–1999, their most successful season came in 2000–2001, when they were UEFA Cup quarter-finalists, going out only to the eventual runners-up Deportivo Alavés (they had finished ninth, but UEFA awarded the side a spot for fair play). Since then, the club has fallen on hard times, with successive relegations from the first (in 2002–2003) and the second levels (2003–2004).

In 2005–2006, their manager was José Miguel González Martín, known as Míchel, a legend for Real Madrid in the 80's/90's.

The club finished the 2006-07 season in second place in "Segunda División B". They won the promotion play-off semi final but lost 2-1 on aggregate in the final to SD Eibar. The next season they returned to the second division after winning the promotion play-off. They beat Benidorm CD in the semifinal and Zamora CF in the last game (2-1 aggregate).

Rayo Vallecano was Laurie Cunningham's last club – he was killed in a car crash just outside of Madrid.

Spanish antifascist band Ska-P are outspoken supporters of the club (and the whole Vallecas neighbourhood) and have dedicated a song to it, named Como un Rayo (album "Ska-P").

Names

*"Agrupación Deportiva El Rayo" (May 29, 1924 - November 13, 1947)
*"Agrupación Deportiva Rayo Vallecano" (November 13, 1947-1995)
*Rayo Vallecano de Madrid (1995-present)

N.B. Affiliate of Club Atlético de Madrid in 1949-50

Current squad

As of 2 September 2008, according to combined sources on the official website.

On loan

Recent seasons

*2004/2005: "Segunda División B", "3rd"
*2005/2006: "Segunda División B", "5th"
*2006/2007: "Segunda División B", "2nd"
*2007/2008: "Segunda División B", "1st - Play-Off - Promoted"
*2008/2009: "Segunda División"------------------
*12 seasons in "La Liga"
*31 seasons in "Segunda División"
*5 seasons in "Segunda División B"
*11 seasons in "Tercera División"

*"Federación Regional Castellana de Fútbol" (1928-30; 1939-49)
**7 seasons in "Primera Categoría"
**3 seasons in "Segunda Categoría"

*"Federación Obrera de Fútbol" (1931-36)
**5 seasons

Famous players

"see also cl|Rayo Vallecano footballers"

External links

* [http://www.rayovallecano.es Official website] es icon
* [http://www.rayoherald.com Rayo Herald - Updated info about Rayo Vallecano] es icon