Lejeune: "They painted our face"

Rayo defender Lejeune acknowledged Elche's deserved 3-0 victory and lamented the absence of the club's ultras group from the stadium.

Florian Lejeune, Rayo Vallecano's French centre-back, reflected on his side's heavy 3-0 defeat at home to Elche. The visitors dominated with two penalty goals from Federico Redondo and Fer Niño in the first half, plus a second-half strike from Germán Valera. Lejeune was involved in the opening penalty after fouling Roy Revivo in the box, though he felt the decision was harsh and came too quickly for review.

"They beat us, they painted our face, and that's it," Lejeune said, describing the loss as "a hard blow" for a team that prides itself on being brave and generous. He acknowledged Rayo lacked intensity in duels and second-ball battles, and failed to convert their chances. The defender also highlighted the impact of the Bukaneros—Rayo's ultras group—being absent from the stadium due to a closure following incidents in the previous match against Athletic. "We hope the Bukaneros will be with us next Saturday against Celta and support us," he concluded.