The Rayo squad says enough: “We feel helpless”

The new postponement of the Cup match against Elche It has been the straw that broke the camel's back for the franjirrojos players, who have denounced in a statement different situations experienced throughout recent months. The staff explained that in the meeting with the president on Friday his “concern about the state of the field” was transferred to him and he proposed “an alternative plan” to find another location as Leganés and Fuenlabrada had done in previous days. However, footballers have found that “Today, at 2:00 p.m., we still didn't know if and where we would play the game”.

However, this discomfort comes from behind, the result of other episodes that they revealed, such as those suffered as a result of the ERTE. “We have been late in the payment of our payroll, when not unpaid, and a long string of issues that are unimaginable for a professional soccer club, “uncovered the Rayistas, who also mentioned the chaotic journey undertaken last week in Miranda, in the middle of a snowstorm, where the anti-covid protocol was breached. “We were held on the bus for five hours, without the proper isolation measures and without drinks or food to finally return to the Sports City at 2 in the morning. The club did not have the means to return to our houses or sleep there, so many of us were forced to do things expressly discouraged by LaLiga in order to spend the night“. Something that has resulted in two more positives in the first team, they join the other four existing cases.

In addition, the dressing room confessed to feeling “abandoned by the club and tired of having to constantly live these types of situations “and also dedicated a few harsh words to the figure of David Cobeño: “Many problems could be improved with a correct dialogue, but the sports director hardly appears on a day-to-day basis and, when he does, he offers no solutions“.

This is the full statement of the staff:

After speaking with the Club President several times in the last week, We met yesterday with the entire squad of the first team with the President and the Sports Director to express our concern about the state of the field in which today we had to play against Elche C.F. During that meeting, we made ourselves available to the Club and We ask you to dedicate more means and resources so that the field was in good condition after the snowfall and the ice of the last days. All this, to be able to play today. In case there is no time, we suggest, as an alternative plan, to contact other clubs, as Leganés and Fuenlabrada have done, who were in the same situation as us and have found facilities where they can play during the schedule. that corresponded to them. Our reality is that until today at 2:00 p.m. we did not know if we would play the game and where, when many of the players were already in the Sports City.

As is known by the fans and by the League, during the last months, we have gone through an ERTE in which the Club, despite having the necessary resources, has not wanted to reach an agreement with us (having lost 15% of our contract without the possibility of talking about it with the Club), we suffer delay in the payment of our payroll, when not unpaid, and a long string of issues that are unimaginable for a professional football club worth its salt. We have stood up and we will continue to do so for the female team players, quarry players and other Club employees, but we understand that there are certain matters whose management corresponds to the Club and not to the players of the different teams. It is the Club and not us who have to put an end to these issues that weigh down the credibility of our teams and wear us down every day.

Likewise, certain actions of the Club go against the basic measures against COVID-19. In particular, last Friday, January 8, we were asked to travel to Miranda de Ebro to play against Mirandés, when the authorities had already asked not to travel due to the snowstorm. We were held on the bus for 5 hours, without the proper isolation measures and without drinks or food to finally return to the Sports City at 2 in the morning. The Club did not have the means to return to our homes or sleep there, so many of us we were forced to do things expressly discouraged by the League in order to spend the night. All these lack of measures endanger our health and that of our families and have resulted, among others, in 2 more positive cases of COVID-19 in the first team, which are added to the 4 other positive cases that exist today.

We believe that many of the problems that have occurred recently could be improved with a correct dialogue with the Club. The Sports Director, a former partner of many of us, despite being in charge of the dialogue with the board, barely It appears on a day-to-day basis and, when it does, it offers no solutions.

We feel helpless by the Club and tired of constantly having to live in situations like the ones we have described above. Our only professional desire is to be able to return Rayo to the place it deserves and focus on sports aspects. We hope to be able to enjoy our fans very soon. In the meantime, we will avoid commenting, we will only remain focused on our sporting commitments, fighting every day for give the best of each one of us and defend our shield with the respect and professionalism it deserves.