Valladolid suffered a heavy defeat in their visit to Athletic Club, losing 7-1. The result leaves Valladolid at the bottom of the league table, facing likely relegation to the second division. Following this match, the Federation of Supporters’ Clubs requested that Valladolid players should pay for the tickets of the fans who traveled to the game.
After the 7-1 defeat against Athletic, the Valladolid Supporters’ Clubs Federation issued a statement requesting that the players compensate the fans by paying for their tickets. Over 600 fans traveled to Bilbao, and the federation considered this payment a “moral duty”. Their statement emphasized, “Honor our badge, respect our history. May all of this serve to make the current squad understand that not every result or defeat that could damage the history of Real Valladolid is acceptable.”
Despite the Supporters’ Federation’s statement on Saturday, February 22nd, Valladolid’s response came on February 26th. The club’s answer was a clear refusal. Valladolid stated in their communication: “The Club’s management rejects the request for reimbursement of ticket costs, despite acknowledging that the team has not performed to the expected level (…). They indicate that they have other formal and contractual mechanisms that determine salaries based on performance.”
With this response, Valladolid makes it clear that they will not grant the request from the Federation of Supporters’ Clubs. However, they do state that player salaries are linked to performance, mentioning “other formal and contractual mechanisms that determine their salaries based on performance.” It remains to be seen if the Federation of Supporters’ Clubs will respond to the club’s decision.