Rayo-Atletico derby moved to Butarque stadium due to pitch quality

Relegation-threatened Rayo Vallecano raged at La Liga on Friday for moving this weekend's home derby against Atletico Madrid to second-tier Leganes after their pitch was again deemed unsafe.

Scrutiny has intensified on the quality of Rayo's ramshackle Vallecas stadium after last week's league fixture against Real Oviedo was postponed at the last minute because of unsafe playing conditions.

Rayo, currently one point off safety in 18th, said they had dedicated "all available human, material and economic resources" to host third-placed Atletico at Vallecas on Sunday.

But La Liga announced on Thursday that the game would instead be played at the Butarque stadium of second-division side Leganes in Madrid's southern suburbs.

The pitch, which has been replaced, "does not yet meet the necessary guarantees to hold the fixture under safe conditions for the integrity of all the footballers and refereeing team, with the resulting risk of injuries", La Liga said in a statement.

The club responded on Friday in a statement expressing "its total disagreement" with a decision "that generates enormous social, sporting and economic harm for Rayo Vallecano".

The Madrid club's players have called for better working conditions and criticised the state of training facilities, the pitch and the stadium, which has hosted UEFA Conference League matches this season.

President and owner Raul Martin Presa has had several feuds with the club's supporters and is widely disliked.

He aims to move Rayo from their home in Vallecas, a working-class inner suburb of the Spanish capital at the heart of the club's identity, which fans have protested against.

La Liga has rescheduled the game against Oviedo for March 4.