So then, who's on top of the Spanish first division at the moment? Answer - Rayo Vallecano. Rayo Who? Yes, you heard right the first time. Newly promoted Rayo Vallecano, a small club from a working class neighbourhood in Madrid, with a woman president, a tiny budget and an American goalkeeper, are out in front in one of Europe's most prestigious and competitive leagues.
With a typically gutsey, battling performance, Rayo on Sunday beat Alaves 1-0 to go back top of the table. After eight weeks of the new season, Rayo Vallecano are proudly showing the way on 19 points, two clear of reigning champions Barcelona and eight points ahead of their mighty city rivals, Real Madrid.
At this early stage of the season, most bookmakers would give you long odds against Rayo Vallecano winning the Spanish title. However, that is not to deny that the remarkable seasonal start by the little club from the Vallecas neighbourhood in Madrid is the stuff of sporting romance. Dreamers can dream on - at least until next week - as soccer's latest David struts his stuff.
Make no mistake, Rayo Vallecano are a David in the soccer world of corporate Goliaths. A few comparisons make the point. FC Barcelona have 100,000 season ticket holders, Real Madrid have 60,000 while Rayo have 5,700. The Nou Camp stadium in Barcelona has a 106,000 capacity, Real's Santiago Bernabeu holds 84,000 while Rayo's Estadio Teresa Rivero holds 15,000 - not allowing for those who can look into the little stadium from their apartment windows and terraces. Rayo's annual budget runs at approx. $12 million or less than a quarter of the $52 million paid by Inter Milan this summer for Italian international striker Christian Vieri.
American goalkeeper Kasey Keller, lately of Leicester City, tends to agree. When recently asked by an American reporter if there was any chance of Rayo winning the Spanish title, Keller's replay was succint: "Nah".
Keller appears to be enjoying himself, however, even if his initial impact with the Rayo fans took him by surprise. Not intimately familiar with the strong left-wing sympathies of the fans from this working-class neighbourhood, he got a shock when his billing as an "American" goalkeeper prompted cries of "Viva Castro! Viva Castro!".
Keller is one of the few recognisable names on a Rayo team sheet which bears testimony to a policy of careful financial management, a policy implemented by owner and businessman Jose Maria Ruiz Mateos who runs the club along with various relatives including his president-wife (after whom the stadium is named).
For example, although Rayo's fifth promotion to the first division last June was marked by scenes of wild enthusiasm, the club moved carefully on the marketplace. Having toyed with the idea of buying a big name such as Croat Davor Suker (now with Arsenal), Rayo settled for virtual "reject" players such as Jordi Ferron (Barcelona B), Canabal (Real Madrid), Manuel Helder (Paris Saint Germain) and German midfielder Gerhard Poschner (Venezia). Futhermore, Rayo had no hesitation in accepting big money for two of its most effective players of last season, Pablo Lago (to Mallorca) and Muniz (to Numancia).
Despite the economic restrictions, though, Rayo have moved well on the marketplace, not only putting together a humble, hardworking team but also developing at least one potentially interesting player in striker Luis Cembranos, already spoken of as a potential international. Rayo will most certainly not win the Spanish title but, nonetheless, they have struck a small blow for all the minnows. It is a start which owes much to the enthusiasm of a squad largely new to the big-time. It is a start, too, which Rayo coach, Juan De La Cruz Ramos, well described on the day last month that his side beat Mallorca:
"We don't have class players who can win a game for you, by themselves. If we're going to get anywhere, we've got to work much harder than everybody else. For now, we're managing to do just that".
Enjoy it, while it lasts, Rayo.
