Article by Aurelian Botezatu – Published Monday, February 16, 2026, 09:03 / Updated Monday, February 16, 2026 09:04
Rayo's defender, Andrei Rațiu, had the best match of the season against Atletico (3-0) and was named the MVP of the game.
Rațiu contributed substantially to Rayo's exit from the tunnel, after 4 consecutive defeats. He provided the decisive assist for his team's first goal, and AS newspaper wrote that “Ratiu and Ilias tore Atlético apart with their combinations on the right flank“.
Andrei Rațiu received 3 aces and AS
The aforementioned newspaper gave him 3 aces (very good), Marca rated him with two stars (good), while Mundo Deportivo published a dialogue with the Romanian international about the recent problems encountered at the club.
He stated that his side were in “desperate” need for a win, stressed that he had “never” stopped “believing” in himself and recalled that the players have some “grievances” at the club and need “good conditions”.
Andrei Rațiu: “I desperately needed a victory”
“What the fans are doing, with their protest against the management, is respectable. We always want to have them close. It is true that we have issued a statement, we have some complaints and I hope they will listen to us.
We have to reason and reach a common denominator, because we are a first division team and we need the right conditions. I think it's mutually beneficial,” he told DAZN, referring to Rayo's poor training and playing conditions.
About the need to change the game, after 4 consecutive failures in La Liga, Rațiu said: “We desperately needed a win. We never stopped believing, especially in ourselves, and we are happy to win again, keep a clean sheet and see if that helps us get out of the relegation zone.”
Andrei Rațiu: “We came with a clear plan. We knew they were tired”
The winning strategy? “We came with a clear plan. Not to concede a goal, first of all, and then from there to cause damage. We knew they played in the middle of the week, they were tired, there were a lot of changes, but we did a good job and we were good in both boxes, which is probably what we lacked this year,” he explained.
Rațiu also talked about his “chemistry” with Ilias Akhomach, on the right flank: “I already knew him, we get along well and we have an excellent feeling on the pitch. We are always optimistic that we can do damage to the opponent on the right flank”.
