Opinion | Bebe boom: Portuguese reflects on his Manchester United days as he prepares to return to La Liga with Rayo Vallecano
Peripatetic winger stands on the cusp of a return to elite leagues as he reflects on his cult status in Manchester
For the first time ever, teams from Madrid are likely to constitute a quarter of all top flight teams in Spain next season. Real, Atleti, Getafe and Leganes will be joined by Rayo Vallecano if they win one of their last two games. Close to the heart of the city sits Vallecas, a working class area of dense flats which is the home of Rayo.
At the heart of Vallecas is the 15,000 seater Vallecas stadium, an unpolished, proudly working class alternative to the grand arenas of Atleti and Real.
Rayo have enjoyed a fine season, one boosted by the arrival of former Manchester United winger Bebe who arrived on loan in January. It was a move the 27-year-old didn’t regret.
“The best fans I’ve played in front of,” the softly spoken player who famously went from living in an orphanage to playing for Manchester United after a €9 million (HK$83 million, US$10.6 million) transfer in 2010 tells me.
“They’re a bit crazy and there aren’t as many as at other clubs, but they live for their team. I played here on loan before and knew all about the club.”