Valencia vs. Real Oviedo postponed over flood fears, later won 2-1 by Oviedo

When the whistle was supposed to blow at Mestalla Stadium on Monday night, the stands were empty—not because fans stayed away, but because the game never happened. Valencia Club de Fútbol’s LaLiga clash with Real Oviedo Club de Fútbol was called off just hours before kickoff, on September 29, 2025, due to a red alert for torrential rain sweeping across eastern Spain. The decision, made by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), wasn’t just routine caution. It was a visceral reaction to trauma still raw in the city’s memory.

Why This Wasn’t Just a Rain Delay

Less than a year earlier, in October 2024, Valencia was shattered by floods that killed 235 people. Streets became rivers. Basements turned into tombs. Entire neighborhoods were wiped out. The memory of that disaster still haunts local officials, emergency crews, and even the ticket sellers outside Mestalla. So when Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET) issued a red alert—its highest warning—for unprecedented rainfall in the region on Sunday, September 28, the RFEF didn’t hesitate. They knew what happened last time the skies opened up.

By 4:15 p.m. CET on Monday, with the match set for 9 p.m., the RFEF announced the postponement. Schools stayed closed. Parks were cordoned off. Public transport scaled back. The city was bracing. And in the stands at Mestalla, the only thing wet was the turf—drenched by hours of steady rain that had already soaked the pitch beyond playable conditions.

The Teams’ Standing Before the Storm

At the time of the postponement, Valencia CF sat in 12th place with eight points from six matches: two wins, two draws, two losses. Not terrible, but not inspiring either. Their season had been a rollercoaster—flashes of brilliance drowned by defensive lapses. Meanwhile, Real Oviedo, back in LaLiga after a 23-year absence, were rooted to the bottom. Just three points from six games, they were already being written off as relegation fodder.

For Jesús García Pitarch, Valencia’s CEO, the postponement was a relief. "We’re not just talking about a football match," he told reporters. "We’re talking about people’s lives. If there’s even a 5% chance of something going wrong, we don’t take it." Meanwhile, Miguel Ángel Cobián, president of Real Oviedo, echoed the sentiment: "We came here to compete, not to risk anyone’s safety. The RFEF made the right call. Period."

The Rescheduled Match: Drama on Tuesday Night

By Tuesday, the skies had cleared. The pitch was dry. The fans poured in. And what followed was pure football chaos.

Valencia started strong, dominating possession and pressing high. But Real Oviedo, playing with the desperation of a team with nothing to lose, absorbed the pressure. Then, in the 78th minute, Salomón Rojas Rondón—the 36-year-old Venezuelan striker—broke free on the counter, slotted past Jaume Doménech, and sent the away end into delirium.

Valencia equalized seven minutes later through a penalty converted by Carlos Soler. But the final twist came in the 92nd minute. Luka Ilić, Real Oviedo’s combative Serbian midfielder, pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired home the winner. Moments later, he was sent off for a reckless tackle on Valencia’s José Gomes—a red card that capped a night of raw emotion.

Final score: Real Oviedo 2–1 Valencia CF.

The Bigger Picture: Football and Climate Reality

This wasn’t just a postponed game. It was a signpost. Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that Spain’s Mediterranean coast is becoming more vulnerable to extreme rainfall events. The 2024 floods weren’t a fluke—they were a preview. And football, for all its traditions, is now caught in the crosshairs of a changing planet.

LaLiga, under the leadership of LaLiga Santander, has begun reviewing emergency protocols for extreme weather. Other clubs in Andalusia and Murcia are already lobbying for flexible scheduling during autumn months. Some even suggest moving key fixtures to earlier in the day—or even to midweek—to avoid peak storm windows.

"We used to say, ‘The game must go on,’” said Pedro Proença, president of the RFEF, in a post-match statement. "Now we say: ‘The people must come first.’" That shift—from spectacle to safety—is the real story here.

What’s Next?

Valencia CF now face a tough stretch: three home games in 11 days, with no rest after Tuesday’s heartbreak. Real Oviedo, buoyed by their historic win, will look to build momentum—but their defensive frailties remain a concern. Meanwhile, the RFEF has pledged to publish a full weather risk assessment for all upcoming matches in eastern Spain by October 15.

And for fans? They’re just glad the game happened at all.