RAYO VALLECANO GENUINE
Integration is one of the main areas of activity of Rayo Vallecano Academy, along with training, equality, and the promotion of sports values. Rayo Vallecano Genuine is our Academy’s commitment to the integration of people with functional diversity – intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, and acquired brain injury – through the practice of football.
Currently, our Rayo Vallecano Genuino team operates through the agreement signed by our Foundation with Deporte para DCA, a non-profit club that develops physical activities and sports programs designed for people with disabilities. Our teams, fully integrated into the structure of Rayo Vallecano, compete in the following annual tournaments: LaLiga Genuine, organized by LaLiga, the governing body of professional football clubs in Spain, through its Foundation; the National League, organized by the Spanish Federation of Sport for People with Cerebral Palsy and Brain Injury (FEDPC); the FEMADDI Futsal League, organized by the Federation of Sports for People with Intellectual Disabilities; and the Municipal Inclusive 7-a-side Football League, which brings together athletes with and without disabilities.
The Rayo Vallecano Genuine teams train at the Fundación Rayo Vallecano Sports Facility, alongside the rest of the youth academy teams and football school players. Additionally, the Rayo Vallecano Academy organizes numerous friendly matches for its Genuine teams, as well as other initiatives aimed at raising awareness and giving visibility to athletes with intellectual disabilities. An example of this was the “Matches of Values,” organized in collaboration with the foundations of Getafe CF and Club Atlético de Madrid, held before the matches in which their respective first-division teams faced Rayo Vallecano’s first team. These matches featured the participation of former international referees and received extensive coverage in national media.
WHAT'S LALIGA GENUINE?
It is an inclusive social responsibility initiative and a pioneering project worldwide, developed by LaLiga through its Foundation. It consists of the creation of a league made up of teams from the ID (intellectual disability) community, which began in the 2017/2018 season.
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of LaLiga Genuine are:
- Normalization of football practice within the community of people with intellectual disabilities.
- Commitment of professional football to this inclusive and socially responsible project.
- Promote that LaLiga clubs have their own Genuine team.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
The teams are of a single or mixed category (male and female). Players can include participants who have turned sixteen years old by the date the call for the phase they will participate in is sent. Additionally, they must provide official documentation proving a minimum intellectual disability of 33%.
COMPETITION SYSTEM
The competition is played in the 8-a-side football format, with matches consisting of 4 periods of 10 minutes each. The 2022/23 season is divided into 4 phases and will take place at 6 venues. A total of 46 teams are registered.
COMPETITION SYSTEM
In LaLiga Genuine, not only do sports results count, but also the positive attitudes of sportsmanship displayed during the matches. Therefore, teams will earn points in each matchday that reward the sportsmanship, fair play, and positive behavior of players, coaches, and fans.
