Óscar Trejo, the Rayo captain who became a “union leader” | Soccer | Sports

Rayo Vallecano is everything for Óscar Trejo (Santiago del Estero, Argentina; 35 years old). He Chocota He is one of the most outstanding footballers in the history of the Madrid team: the ninth player with the most appearances in the club’s history (270), author of decisive goals in the 2011 and 2021 promotions, or the one who made it to the semifinals of the Copa del Rey in 2022, the first time Rayo had made it this far in the tournament since 1982. In 2020, he became the captain of the first team. But that ended last Sunday. The Argentine announced in a statement that he was resigning from the captaincy for “not agreeing with the methodology or the treatment of workers and fans” by the club.

This decision is not due to a recent clash with the board chaired by Raúl Martín Presa. It responds to a situation of wear accumulated over years. The player, as he expressed in the statement, had been pondering the idea of ​​leaving the captaincy for a long time. What’s more, the decision had already been made before launching the note. Last week, in the match against Cádiz, Trejo did not wear the armband. His carrier was Óscar Valentín, who from now on will be the new first captain, followed by Baby, Falcao and Isi. Once the decision was announced, the Argentine does not want to give any further thought to the matter and only seeks to continue contributing as another player on the team.

From those around the footballer, they point out that Trejo had been forced to assume a role similar to that of a “union leader”, and not just that of a captain of a football team. “In recent years he has been eating different browns from the club and has made them his own. There has been a moment in which he has already exploded and has decided to step aside”, explain sources close to the player. “He has tried from his position to defend many people, and that made him take those problems home. He cares about all the club’s workers, not just the players, and became a union leader of sorts. He has taken the lead in things like missing balls in training fields or some workers collecting bonuses late.”

Trejo was one of the players who positioned himself against the ERTE that Rayo carried out during the pandemic. He also charged against the club for the continuity of Carlos Santiso as coach of the women’s team after audio of the coach encouraging a group rape came to light. Santiso was eventually fired after weeks of fan protests.

The support of the stands

The Rayo employees or former employees that this newspaper has tried to contact have refused to make statements about the management of labor conflicts at the club, or they claim that they have never had any problems and say they do not know what Trejo was referring to. Rayo have also declined to evaluate Trejo’s statement and prefer, like the player, to turn the page and focus on sports. This Saturday, Rayo faces Sevilla at the Sánchez Pizjuán (9:00 p.m., Movistar) in Trejo’s first match since he announced his resignation from the armband. It will not be until three weeks, on October 29 against Real Sociedad, that he will be reunited with his fans at the Vallecas Stadium.

This week, the response from the Vallecas stands to the resignation of their captain has been absolute support for the player. Many clubs, such as Bukaneros or Franja Vallekana, have issued statements supporting the decision and thanking him for his support over the years. The Argentine was one of the players who charged against the club last year for the chaos that occurred in the renewal and obtaining of season tickets. He has also sometimes criticized the poor relationship of the president, Martín Presa, with the majority of the fans. “The situation is not appropriate between the fans and the board,” Trejo declared last year after reaching the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. And he added: “People know that we are to death with them and we will continue to be because what they do is impressive.”

“Trejo is one of the best players in the history of Rayo, perhaps the most important in its modern history,” says Paco Pérez, councilor for Más Madrid in the City Council and member of Rayo Vallecano. “He has become an idol, first because of his enormous quality, but also because of his commitment to the club and the fans. He proves to be a coherent person who exalts the sport. Not everything is saying amen,” emphasizes the politician, who insists that the playmaker was one of the first Primera players to show his support for Jenni Hermoso for Luis Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss.

Trejo’s desire is to finish his career at Rayo Vallecano. At 35 years old, he ends his current contract with the club next summer.

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