Real Madrid reluctantly agree to rescheduled game after lights are sabotaged

Real Madrid have reluctantly agreed to play their La Liga match at Rayo Vallecano at 1745 GMT on Monday, a day after the game was abandoned because of alleged lighting sabotage at Rayo's Estadio de Vallecas stadium.

The game was due to kick off at 930pm local time (1930 GMT) on Sunday but the stadium was in semi-darkness and fans were still waiting outside the locked arena as workmen toiled to fix the lights.

Rayo president Raul Martin Presa said unidentified persons had cut the cables on some of the lights and when it became clear they could not be repaired in time the game was abandoned.

Real initially said they did not want to risk another lighting failure and wanted to play the match on Monday at 1500, while Rayo insisted it should kick off at 1800 to allow more Rayo fans to attend.

"After the deplorable events that took place yesterday ... Real Madrid C.F. asked the Professional Football League (LFP) to schedule the game today, Monday, during the day in order to avoid any potential problems that might again put it at risk," Real said in a statement on their website (http://www.realmadrid.com).

"The president of the LFP has decided, however, that the match will be played at 19:45 and has accepted personal responsibility for it to take place without incident," the statement added.

"Real Madrid C.F. bases their request on their concern for the lack of dates for the rescheduling of the match should it not be possible for the match to go ahead today."

Rayo said tickets for Sunday's match would be valid on Monday and fans who could not attend could return them.

Reuters