Heavy rain warning forces Villarreal-Espanyol to be postponed

BarcelonaThe threat of torrential rain looming over Castellón has forced the postponement of the match that closed the 26th round between Villarreal and Espanyol. The sole referee for professional competitions has decided, when the players were about to go out onto the pitch, to prevent the start of the match, as announced over the public address system at the La Cerámica stadium: "Due to the recommendations of intensity of rain we inform you that the referee for competition has decided to postpone the match for reasons. The new date and time of the match will be announced in the next five days, according to the RFEF in a statement.

The announcement was made shortly after nine o'clock at night, the time set for the match. "We ask spectators to leave the stadium in a calm and orderly manner, following the instructions of the staff," the stadium's public address system warned. A few moments later, it began to rain heavily on the pitch. Shortly before the players left the pitch, in the changing room tunnel, Espanyol's sporting director, Fran Garagarza, and Villarreal's president, Fernando Roig, received several phone calls updating them on the alert that had been threatening certain areas of the province of Castellón since mid-afternoon.

"It has taken us by surprise. Ten minutes before the start of the match they called us to say that the game would be suspended because there are recommendations regarding risk. The decision was taken by the League and the RFEF and we abide by it," explained Garagarza. The Espanyol sporting director acknowledged that they were not warned of suspension until the time of the match. "It is hard for us that the people who have come have to go home without playing. We hope that everyone gets home safely and that no fans or us have any scares on the road," he added.

Espanyol, who will return by bus to Barcelona tonight, have announced that they will try to compensate the 240 or so fans who travelled. The players and coaching staff of the blue and white team went to the visitors' area to thank the supporters for travelling to La Cerámica. The line-up that Manolo González had presented included Carlos Romero, a defender on loan from Villarreal to Espanyol, from Torrent, who a few months ago I remembered the ARA On his birthday, the DANA flooded the streets of several municipalities in the Valencian Community. "I was making a video call with my parents, who were congratulating me on my birthday, when they got an alert on their mobile. It wasn't raining yet, but shortly after the connection was cut off," the footballer recounted.

At four in the afternoon, the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) updated the risk level for locally heavy rain in the Valencian Community, raising the alert to red risk for the interior of the province of Castellón. However, the latest update from this agency has lowered the alert to yellow risk for tomorrow Tuesday in the same area.