MADRID, May 26– Rayo Vallecano will look to win the biggest trophy in the club’s history on Wednesday when it faces Crystal Palace in the UEFA Conference League final in Leipzig.
The side from Madrid’s working-class Vallecas neighborhood has already made history by reaching the first European final in the club’s history in only its second continental campaign, and coach Inigo Perez believes his players are ready to go one step further.
“We travel with confidence, calm and maximum expectation,” Perez said after Rayo eliminated AEK Athens and Strasbourg in the knockout rounds.
Rayo survived a major scare against AEK after nearly throwing away a 3-0 first-leg advantage before Isi Palazon’s vital away goal secured passage to the semifinals. Perez’s side then produced commanding performances home and away to eliminate Strasbourg.
Perez, 38, has been at the heart of the club’s remarkable rise. Formerly assistant to Andoni Iraola, he took charge midway through the 2024-25 campaign with Rayo battling relegation and has since guided the club to an eighth-place finish in La Liga while balancing domestic and European commitments on one of the division’s smallest budgets.
Perez had originally been set to join Iraola’s coaching staff at Bournemouth, but after being denied a work visa by Britain’s Home Office following Brexit-related regulations, he remained in Spain instead. Wednesday’s final will be his last match in charge, but he already leaves behind a remarkable legacy.
On the pitch, Rayo has built its identity around aggressive pressing and direct attacking football. Jorge de Frutos and Sergio Camello provide pace and movement in wide areas, while Brazilian striker Alemao offers a physical presence capable of troubling opposing defenses.
Isi Palazon and Unai Lopez are expected to anchor the midfield, while goalkeeper Augusto Batalla lines up behind central defender Florian Lejeune. Full backs Andrei Ratiu and Pep Chavarria are also key to the team’s attacking approach, regularly pushing high up the pitch.
Pathe Ciss could either partner Lejeune in central defense or move into midfield depending on Perez’s tactical approach. Wherever he plays, the Senegal international brings physicality, aerial dominance and relentless energy.
That commitment has become one of the defining features of Perez’s Rayo side, with the coach demanding intensity from the touchline and the club’s passionate supporters expected to create a fierce atmosphere in Leipzig. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
