News Focus
- Rayo Vallecano stars donated thousands of euros to help fans cheated by bogus travel agents
- Fraudsters sold fake €250 flight and bus packages to the UEFA Conference League final in Germany
- Captain Oscar Valentin, Sergio Camello, Andrei Ratiu and Dani Cardenas led the player fundraising
- The Madrid club face Crystal Palace in Leipzig next Wednesday for their first major trophy
- Fans also crowdfunded €1,034 in two hours to help an 80-year-old supporter attend the match
Players from Rayo Vallecano have shown remarkable solidarity by using their own money to help supporters who fell victim to fraudsters. The fans had paid for travel to the UEFA Conference League final in Germany, only to discover the travel company was a scam.
The fraud offered supporters a deal of €250 for flights and buses to Leipzig. Many fans paid this money, but the company vanished with their cash. One supporter explained the situation on social media and appealed to the squad for help.
Club captain Oscar Valentin saw the message and responded immediately. Shortly after, several players sent funds to help the victims. Goalkeeper Dani Cardenas gave €400, right-back Andrei Ratiu donated €1,000, and forward Sergio Camello contributed €2,000 to the cause.
This is not the first time the Rayo community has rallied together this week. Earlier, fans raised over €1,034 in just two hours to help an 80-year-old supporter named Enrique. He had also lost money on a bus trip to the final. The supporters used a crowdfunding page to buy him a seat on a chartered flight instead.
Rayo Vallecano will clash with Crystal Palace in Leipzig next Wednesday. The small Madrid-based club has shocked European football by reaching their first continental final in only their second campaign. They eliminated sides like Strasbourg and AEK Athens to secure their place.
The final promises to be a historic occasion for the club from Vallecas. They hope to lift their first major piece of silverware in history.