MADRID (AP) — Spanish club Rayo Vallecano said Sunday it did not pay tribute to its player Pathé Ciss following Senegal's Africa Cup of Nations title because of the recent tragedy involving train crashes in Spain.
Rayo was taking heat from some of its fans for not honoring the central midfielder who helped Senegal in its title run that culminated with the team lifting the trophy in the final against Morocco last Sunday.
Spanish media said Ciss retweeted an X post from a fan complaining that the club did not honor the player.
Rayo said in a statement it did not pay tribute to Ciss before the team's 3-1 home loss to Osasuna in the Spanish league out of respect for the victims of the two deadly train wrecks in Spain last week.
“It was deemed inappropriate to hold any kind of celebration on a day of mourning, during which the team wore black armbands and observed a minute’s silence in memory of those who died in the tragic train accidents,” the club said.
Rayo added that the "well-deserved recognition" of Ciss will happen before the team's home match against Oviedo in the Spanish league on Feb. 7.
A minute of silence has been held before kickoff in all of this weekend’s games in the Spanish league.
Villarreal on Saturday paid tribute to Senegalese midfielder Pape Gueye, who showed fans both his winner’s medal and the tournament trophy.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Senegal's Pape Gueye and Pathe Ciss celebrate with supporters after the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal soccer match between Senegal and Egypt, in Tangier, Morocco, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
BASEL, Switzerland & DÜSSELDORF, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 26, 2026--
Syngenta, one of the world’s biggest agricultural innovation companies, and Statkraft, a leading provider of innovative green energy solutions in Europe, have signed a virtual power purchase agreement (vPPA) covering Syngenta’s CP & Seeds operations for a period of five years. The volume amounts to 125 GWh per year and a total of 625 GWh of green electricity by the end of the contract in 2030.
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With the vPPA, Statkraft is supporting Syngenta in advancing its sustainability strategy through the purchase of renewable energy. "This is Syngenta's first vPPA, marking a pivotal step in our decarbonization strategy," said Rachel Stenson Bugnon, Global Head CP Sourcing at Syngenta. "This tailored approach allows us to make meaningful progress toward our carbon reduction targets for Syngenta AG while maintaining operational efficiency across our European facilities."
“VPPAs are also becoming increasingly important in Germany. We are delighted to support Syngenta with this tailor-made PPA solution to decarbonize its production”, says Sascha Schröder, Vice President Central European Origination at Statkraft. “We are building a bridge between operators of wind farms that are no longer eligible for subsidies, who typically prefer short delivery terms, and companies seeking long-term green power procurement that integrates smoothly into their established sourcing strategy.”
The agreement is based on an artificial wind farm with which Statkraft maps the entire generation capacity of onshore wind turbines in the German market, enabling tailor-made electricity supply offers for companies. In addition, Syngenta is securing green electricity indexed to the electricity spot market for five years. Under the vPPA, Syngenta obtains the certificates of origin for the agreed electricity volume.
The vPPA is a financial supply contract without physical electricity flow. The key advantage is that companies such as Syngenta can pursue their sustainability goals without having to change their operational processes or contracts with their energy supplier. At the same time, Syngenta supports the continued economic operation of wind facilities that would otherwise face economic uncertainty after government subsidy expiration, helping to keep clean energy flowing to the grid.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a global leader in agricultural innovation with a presence in more than 90 countries. Syngenta is focused on developing technologies and farming practices that empower farmers, so they can make the transformation required to feed the world’s population while preserving our planet. Its bold scientific discoveries deliver better benefits for farmers and society on a bigger scale than ever before. Guided by its Sustainability Priorities, Syngenta is developing new technologies and solutions that support farmers to grow healthier plants in healthier soil with a higher yield. Syngenta Crop Protection is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland; Syngenta Seeds is headquartered in the United States. Read our stories and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram & X.
About Statkraft
Statkraft is an international leader in hydropower and Europe's largest producer of renewable energy. The group generates electricity from water, wind, solar, and gas, supplies district heating, and is a major player in energy trading worldwide. Statkraft employs around 7,000 people in more than 20 countries.
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Syngenta and Statkraft sign five-year virtual power purchase agreement
