The most efficient factor Óscar Trejo may just do as captain of Rayo Vallecano used to be prohibit being captain of Rayo Vallecano, in order that used to be precisely what he did.

Born in Santiago de Estero, Argentina, Trejo first got here to Spain to signal for Mallorca as an 18-year-old, sooner or later arriving in Vallecas on mortgage in 2010. Despite the fact that he used to be pressured to proceed away once more a yr after having taken them as much as LaLiga, it become his house. He joined the membership once more on a distant switch in 2017, gained promotion once more, suffered relegation and gained promotion for a 3rd week. He led them to their perfect place in a decade and their first Copa del Rey semifinal in 40 years. And, a person of skill, ocular and harmony, he made extra appearances for them than any foreigner ever.

– Tide on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (U.S.)

Just one guy performed extra, and, even supposing Trejo is 35 now, he may just nonetheless catch him. Next all, he doesn’t need to progress anyplace else, ever. That is the park he says he desires to vacate, a park the place he had a folk — Trejo has 4 kids now — and the place he discovered a folk too. Each morning, when he arrives on the membership, they’re there — now not such a lot workforce as his public.

“It’s like I spent my whole life there,” he stated a life in the past now. “It’s a humble club with tremendous values. People who are close to you, who give you everything and all they ask is for you to be with them, to listen to them, be part of their lives daily.”

So Trejo listened. He understood. He were given them, felt he used to be one in all them. He used to be one in all them, is one in all them. A former Rayo professor as soon as described them because the closing of the barrio groups: now not simply in their neighbourhood however of their neighbourhood. A operating elegance, socially mindful membership; a nation, a reason. Throughout the pandemic, the Bukaneros supporters’ team hung plenty banners from a neighborhood sanatorium.

“Only the people save the people,” the message learn. “Health workers: you are our pride.” Trejo posted the image with a be aware. “There’s a reason we’re different,” it stated.

This season, he modified the title at the again of his blouse. It now says: “TREJO JP” in proclaim of Juan Pedro, the top of sweet sixteen soccer who were on the membership for 45 years, making them what they’re, who kicked the bucket on the era of 63. And upcoming, 13 years then Trejo first arrived, six years then his 2d witchcraft started and 3 years as captain, this while he passed over the armband. The verdict to surrender the captaincy shocked everybody. However it didn’t come in spite of all of that, in spite of the nation, the relationship, the constancy; it got here as a result of of it.

It wasn’t taken evenly, both. And it indubitably wasn’t taken in a flash of enrage over one thing miniature: He had thought of this for an extended week, and it used to be the suitable week. Forsaking the captaincy didn’t quit the ones public who had proven him such a lot affection, been his folk; he stood up for them. Sure, this used to be in in part an employment of depart, exhaustion, the realization unfortunately reached that he used to be with out this tension and the power. However it used to be additionally an employment of rebel, of protest, an effort to arise up for they all, for the folk. One thing needed to be achieved, and this used to be rather one thing.

If the approach are brandnew, the reasons don’t seem to be. Rayo is a park the place there were never-ending mistakes, steady injustices. There may be a lack of funding and even unadorned support this is startling. A membership, to worth Trejo’s personal phrases — and it’s important that he stated so — the place there’s “problem after problem.” Person who performs in a field this is crumbling, the place the training workforce need to pay for a few of their very own apparatus, the place amenities are falling aside, in hideous situation. The place supporters are handled like dust and so are workforce.

When brandnew season tickets went on sale this summer season, enthusiasts queued for 12 hours within the warmth — for seats with a limited view. There is not any on-line sale, and simply two home windows were opened to wait to supporters. “The fans do not deserve this,” Trejo stated. That used to be two years in the past and it has handiest were given worse.

In snip, to worth his phrases: “The management isn’t good.” Rayo is a multitude and it’s been for an extended week, a membership the place the enthusiasts dislike the landlord and he seems to dislike them again, a lot of his movements taking a look intentionally provocative. To quote however one, very well-known case: Proprietor Raul Martin Presa invited the chief of the far-right political birthday party VOX to observe a sport within the director’s field all the way through the pandemic, when nobody else used to be allowed in. Towards Albacete, who had Ukrainian striker Roman Zozulya enjoying for them — the similar Zozulya Rayo had protested about signing and who they accused of being a nazi.

Oscar Trejo. What a hero. Mentioned the previous day that he feels he can’t elevate on as Rayo captain, as he doesn’t consider the way in which workforce and enthusiasts are handled through the membership. pic.twitter.com/mSxxBBOou5

— The Spanish Soccer Podcast (@tsf_podcast) October 2, 2023

Any risk of a reconciliation lengthy long past, now not least as a result of there used to be refuse purpose of searching for it from the membership hierarchy, enthusiasts now handiest ask something of Presa: that he leaves. Each unmarried one in all them asks him that during each unmarried sport.

They have got enough reason why. Simply list the problems would take in the remains of this text, however listed here are some: The ladies’s group had been coached through a person who had steered the easiest way to develop team spirit a few of the training workforce used to be to rape a lady in combination. A tender French participant introduced that he used to be signed through the membership, handiest to seek out that after he were given to Madrid, his promise had modified, depart him slumbering at the flooring of a flat engaged through six others with handiest two bedrooms. The former summer season, the finance officer and the price tag officer had resigned, unwell of all of it. There were redundancies and discounts.

Stuck someplace in the midst of all of it, Trejo has now not kept away from the problems. He has spoken in defence of supporters and of the ladies’s group, lamented the dearth of conversation and judgement from possession. Being a captain there isn’t just about enjoying smartly or dressed in an armband, and nor does he need it to be; it’s about taking duty, or seeking to. It’s about searching for growth, appearing when issues are achieved flawed, talking out when there are injustices — each privately and, if wishes be, publicly.

Call to mind it virtually as a type of business union chief, a store steward. And now not simply to the behalf of the gamers, however they all. For the membership itself, the public who create it. For the enthusiasts who create it too, with out whom this has refuse use. The pursuit of growth isn’t just at the sound, the place Rayo have one way or the other been a success in spite of what has took place to them. The truth that the field is packed and the queues for tickets stretch around the prevent is one thing to laud however one thing to lament too. The commitment is superb; that it’s examined so sun-baked is miserable.

“It’s admirable because for a long time now the fans have been defenceless and treated badly,” Trejo stated. “To see them go to the ground, queuing for 5, 10, 12 hours, all you can do is tell them you understand. You’re conscious that things are not being done right.”

That used to be in 2021, and nonetheless it is going on, nonetheless he speaks, nonetheless he attempted to develop bridges, in finding answers. It’s now not simply telling them you know; it is attempting to cure it, taking the load for it. And at a membership like this this is onerous. When frustration follows, much more so. There were requests, pleas even, to fix the battle with the enthusiasts, to seem then the employees and upcoming … not anything.

“When you have been at the club a long time, you realise,” Trejo advised El Mundo closing yr. “I am an employee like any other [but] we can tell the owner what we think.”

As one worker famous, admiringly, of Trejo: “Things are still done badly off the pitch. It wears you down and if you have been there a long time that [tiredness] is even greater.”

Till one presen, there’s no manner out except for the way in which out. “I want to enjoy being with my teammates, the people who are here, inside and out, every day — those people who make [the club] special and who are its greatest patrimony,” Trejo wrote this while. “I had this idea in my head for a long time and after thinking it over carefully I have decided to stop being captain. There are many, many reasons but the most important one is that I don’t agree with the methodology or the treatment of workers and fans.”

Right here used to be the choice to struggle one closing factor, even supposing it comes with sacrifice. From time to time, one thing has to provide, a arise needs to be taken, a observation made. As it issues, since you support. As a result of duty weighs and public, your folk, rely on you. This while Trejo passed within the armband and become much more of a captain than he were earlier than, a fair higher image of the whole lot Rayo Vallecano is meant to be.