Article by Cosmin Nistor – Published on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 23:49 / Updated on Thursday, 28 May 2026 00:26
The Romanian international was integral in the last European act, and the Spanish press, Marca, analyzed his evolution and offered notes and comments about his performance in the final.
What grades did Andrei Rațiu receive in the Spanish press
The Spanish publication AS described the play and the decisive moment of the match.
“Mateta woke Rayo from their slumber. Palace won on the edge, taking advantage of a loose ball after Batalla was denied. Rayo Vallecano fought hard in their first final and lost with honour.”
The Spanish publications analyzed the evolution of the Romanian defender Andrei Rațiu and highlighted the good moments of his game, but also the errors committed during the final in Leipzig.
mark – grade 5.5 for Andrei Rațiu:
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“First half: Good defensive positioning. Involved in the attack whenever possible. Made a mistake at the end of the first half that could have cost the team dearly.
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Second half: went up in attack less often. Defensively, he made some errors that created dangerous opportunities for opponents. Final grade: 5.5.”
Marca also noted the evolution of the team as a whole:
“Rayo Vallecano failed to give their fans a win in the Conference League final. The team never looked comfortable throughout the match and were dominated early in the second half by a stronger Crystal Palace. The improvement shown by Rayo through the changes was not enough to turn the tide of the game. Rayo Vallecano lost the Conference League trophy, but not the pride of being a special team.”
Andrei Rațiu wrote history with Rayo Vallecano
Even though he lost the final, the Romanian international ticked off one of the most important performances of his career, with Rayo playing in the first European final in the club's history, and the right-back being a key player in the Spanish formation.
Thus, Rațiu becomes the first Romanian to play in a UEFA Conference League final and the second consecutively involved in a European final, after Radu Drăgușin won the Europa League the previous season.
In the current edition of the Conference League, Rațiu collected 13 matches, during which he managed to score only one goal. In total, this season, the Romanian defender marked 49 matches in all competitions, scoring one goal and 4 assists. According to Transfermarkt, he is quoted at 18 million euros.
