Paper Plane Protest Forces Abandonment of La Liga Match

A La Liga match between Rayo Vallecano and Athletic Bilbao was abandoned after fans staged an unusual protest by throwing paper planes and other objects onto the pitch.

The match, Rayo Vallecano’s first home fixture after the international break, was initially halted in the 13th minute with the score still 0-0. The referee stopped play after large numbers of paper planes littered the playing surface.

The game was interrupted for around 10 minutes while staff cleared the pitch. Stadium officials warned spectators over the public-address system that continued disruptions could lead to the match being called off.

The protest was reportedly directed at Rayo Vallecano’s owner, although the report did not specify the reasons behind the fans’ demonstration.

Play resumed after the initial interruption, but supporters began throwing more paper planes onto the field shortly afterwards. The referee stopped the match again in the 25th minute as the disruption continued.

As the situation escalated, spectators began leaving the stadium. Rayo Vallecano subsequently confirmed in a statement on social media platform X that the match had been abandoned.