Europe: Real assert their ‘rights’ on replay after local derby hit by ‘sabotage’

Real Madrid’s La Liga match at city rivals Rayo Vallecano was abandoned in bizarre circumstances last night after Rayo officials said the lighting at their Estadio de Vallecas stadium had been sabotaged.

The game was due to kick off at 9.30pm local time but the stadium was in semi-darkness and fans were still waiting outside the locked arena as workmen toiled to fix the lights.

Rayo president Raul Martin Presa said unidentified persons had cut the cables on some of the lights and, when it became clear they could not be repaired in time, the game was abandoned.

“There were a huge number of fans waiting and we ask their forgiveness but we hope they understand that these are circumstances beyond the club’s control,” he said. “They came here with all the excitement in the world hoping to see their team play one of the best sides in the world. Unfortunately, due to an act of vandalism, we are not going to be able to enjoy this match tonight.”

Real director of football Miguel 
Pardeza said the club did not want to risk another lighting failure and wanted to play the match today at 5pm local time (4pm BST).

“We have a very packed calendar and Rayo obviously does not,” Pardeza said. “We have absolutely no responsibility for what has happened here and we have to defend our rights. As we have no guarantee that we can play tomorrow at 8pm, 5pm tomorrow is when we want to play.”

However, Presa told Spanish TV that was “almost impossible” as many Rayo fans would not be able to attend. The initial message he had received from the professional league (LFP) was that the game would be played at 8pm and Rayo would do everything to ensure the lights were back to normal, he added.

There was also a bizarre postponement in Italy, where Cagliari’s Serie A match at home to AS Roma was called off after the club defied orders from local authorities to stage the fixture
 behind closed doors.

Club president Massimo Cellino had slammed “bureaucratic difficulties and the collective disinterest of the authorities” in a statement on Saturday and invited fans to attend the game despite a ruling on Thursday that it should be closed to the public.

In the latest blow to Italian football’s credibility, Serie A confirmed on its website (www.legaseriea.it) that the Cagliari municipal government had ordered the game postponed yesterday morning after a late-night meeting.

Both Milan clubs lost further ground on Serie A frontrunners Juventus yesterday, AC Milan suffering a third loss in four games with a 2-1 slip-up at Udinese while rock-bottom Siena claimed a shock 2-0 win over Inter at the San Siro.