Out of Vallecas, Rayo Vallecano turns to Leganes amid stadium safety fears

Sport

Out of Vallecas, Rayo Vallecano turns to Leganes amid stadium safety fears

2026-08-10 22:41 Last Updated At：22:51

MADRID (AP) — Rayo Vallecano will play its first home game of the season at second-tier Leganes' stadium because of unsafe conditions at its own venue.

Vallecano had been searching for somewhere to host its top-flight Spanish league match against Alaves on Aug. 20 after the Vallecas Stadium was deemed unsafe to host games by local authorities.

Spanish media were reporting that Rayo was considering playing its home games in the city of Burgos, some 200 kilometres (125 miles) from where the club is based in southern Madrid.

Rayo fans, one of the most active and loyal in Spain, had been upset because of the long distance needed to watch the club play.

Leganes, though, said in a statement Monday that it reached an agreement with Rayo and Madrid authorities to allow the club to play at its stadium “given the delicate situation" affecting the Vallecas.

It said the agreement was made “provided that certain minimum guarantees are met to safeguard the interests” of Leganes fans and the club itself.

Rayo is not expected to play at Vallecas for a long time, as work is needed to renovate the venue so that it can comply with health and safety standards.

Rayo is one of the most outdated clubs in the Spanish league in many aspects, including the lack of direct online ticket sales for its home matches.

The club said the search for season tickets among fans has been significant despite the stadium issue.

Rayo finished eighth in the league last season and reached the Conference League final, which it lost to Crystal Palace.

Rayo begins its league campaign at Sevilla on Saturday.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

A 7.4-magnitude earthquake shakes western Colombia, causing serious damage

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia on Monday, causing serious damage to buildings in the region and prompting evacuations as far away as in the capital, Bogota. The regional governor said there had been an unspecified number of injuries.

The epicenter was in San Jose Del Palmar, a community of about 4,800 people in the Choco region about 250 miles (400 kilometers) west of Bogota, the U.S. Geological Survey and Colombia’s counterpart reported. The USGS said it struck at a depth of 66 miles (107 kilometers).

The quake also was felt in neighboring Ecuador.

Choco Gov. Nubia Córdoba said on social media that “there are injuries and serious damage to buildings" in the regional capital of Quibdó, a city of about 130,000 people. She didn't provide further details.

Footage shared by local media outlets showed homes and small buildings collapsing in the cities of Pereira, Cali and Quibdo. In Manizales, a city about 190 miles (300 kilometers) west of Bogota, one of the towers of the neo-Gothic cathedral collapsed and fell on the nave.

In Cali, a city 2 million people, Mayor Alejandro Eder said that residents were trapped in at least 19 buildings that had collapsed.

Small earthquakes, known as “temblores,” are common in central and western Colombia, but those above 6.0 magnitude are rare. In 1999, a 6.2 magnitude quake near the city of Armenia, killed more than 1,100 people.

Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella said in a post on X that he will personally supervise recovery efforts and install an emergency center in San Jose del Palmar.

The quake follows two back-to-back 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes in Venezuela in late June. Those earthquakes destroyed hundreds of buildings and killed more than 5,000 people.