Spanish Football Matches Expected to Be Postponed Following Flash Floods

Spanish authorities have deployed over 1,000 troops nationwide to assist with rescue efforts. This weekend, all football matches scheduled for the Valencia region, notably Real Madrid’s match against Valencia on Saturday, are expected to be postponed due to severe flash floods across Spain. The torrential rainfall has resulted in at least 95 fatalities nationwide. The town of Chiva, situated close to Valencia, experienced an extraordinary amount of precipitation, equivalent to over a year’s worth, within an eight-hour period. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has been formally asked by La Liga and various clubs to reschedule all games within the affected region that belong to the top two professional divisions. This encompasses the top-flight fixture between Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano, as well as Segunda division encounters such as Castellon versus RC Ferrol, CD Eldense against SD Huesca, and Malaga’s away game at Levante. While the RFEF’s competition committee is scheduled to finalize this decision on Thursday, the federation has already advised the postponement of all non-professional matches as well. For any matches that proceed over the upcoming two weekends, a minute’s silence will be observed. This action follows earlier postponements, including Valencia’s match against Parla Escuela, originally set for Wednesday, and several other Copa del Rey fixtures. Valencia’s away fixture against the sixth-tier team was initially slated for Wednesday in Parla, a town situated 15 miles from Madrid, the Spanish capital. This particular match has since been rescheduled for 6 November and will take place at its original venue. Additionally, the second-division team Levante’s journey to face fourth-tier Pontevedra in north-west Spain has been deferred until next week. The contest between fourth-tier Xerez and third-tier AD Ceuta has also been postponed. Matches scheduled for Thursday were similarly impacted; the game between fourth-tier Ejea and third-tier Hercules de Alicante has been delayed by one week, while sixth-tier Manises’ home encounter with top-flight Getafe has been postponed indefinitely. Furthermore, La Liga clubs Real Sociedad and Osasuna have seen their respective away matches against fifth-tier Jove Espanol and sixth-tier Chiclana postponed. A number of top-tier clubs, among them Real Madrid and Barcelona, have extended their condolences to those affected by the floods. In an official statement, Barcelona conveyed: “Barcelona wishes to express its sympathy to the relatives of the victims and our solidarity with the counties in Valencia and parts of Albacete and Andalusia affected by the torrential rain.”