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Why Rayo Vallecano are one of Spain's most intriguing football clubs

You'd be forgiven for not having an encyclopedic knowledge of a football club called Rayo Valleca...



Why Rayo Vallecano are one of...
Soccer

Why Rayo Vallecano are one of Spain's most intriguing football clubs

You'd be forgiven for not having an encyclopedic knowledge of a football club called Rayo Vallecano.

But it turns they are among the most interesting clubs in La Liga beyond the Top Two.

Based in the Madrid suburb of Vallecas which has its own distinct character, Rayo have never won a major trophy during their 93 and half years of existence and tend to fluctuate between the top flight and Segunda Division, where they currently play.

One man who does have an intimate knowledge of the club is our old friend and Newstalk colleague, Robbie Dunne from Co Kildare, who moved to Madrid in 2016 and has written a book called Working Class Heroes: The Story of Rayo Vallecano, Madrid's Forgotten Team and joined Adrian Collins and I on this week's Team 33 to tell us about Rayo and what drew him to write about a club that hasn't made a major imprint in the global football consciousness.

You can listen to the interview with Robbie on the podcast player or stream/download on iTunes:

Recent interviews on Team 33 include ex-England international Carlton Palmer, Chelsea legends Bobby Tambling and Paddy Mulligan, Dutch legend Johan Neeskens, ex-England striker Darius Vassell, Liverpool legend David Fairclough, former Ireland midfielder Mark Kinsella and former Everton forward Tomasz Radzinski. Plus our in-depth chats with Tony CotonPackie BonnerNobby SolanoRon Atkinson and Alan Curbishley are still available on iTunes. You can find them all in one place by subscribing to Team 33 on iTunes.

One of the things Robbie gave us an insight into was the Vallecano locality whose unique mindset is reflected in the fanbase's ardently left wing stance, so much so that when the club signed Ukrainian footballer Roman Zozulya, question marks over his political leanings saw the transfer stopped.

A social consciousness among the club's fanbase has also seen them partake in other efforts which Robbie details. 

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