SPANISH FOOTBALL HAS always had later than usual kick-off times.
Sometimes they’re a necessity as soaring summer temperatures can turn a game of football into cruel and unusual punishment.
These days however, the post-midnight finishes should instead to be attributed to the Spain’s governing body, the LFP, who schedule the games to maximise the potential TV viewership.
On Friday night, Rayo Vallecano v Levante started at 11pm. And home fans protested by avoiding the opening 24 minutes of the game, then taking their seats all at once.
The images were sent to us by Paul Reidy who was at the game and adds that the Ultras area remained deserted througout, save for two familiar faces:
“The end (there is only one as the ground is three-sided) where the hardcore fans go was left empty, with two fans dressed up as Ernie and Bert from Sesame Street in sleeping bags with a banner saying, “please keep the noise down its sleep time not football time”.
Despite the ingenious protest, Levante managed to come away with all three points thanks to a last-gasp Andreas Ivanschitz goal which made the score 2-1.
