Football in Spain postponed after deadly floods devastate southern parts

The Copa del Rey matches involving Valencia and Levante have been postponed due to devastating floods in southern Spain, which have resulted in at least 95 fatalities and significant disruption.

In Short

• Copa del Rey matches postponed due to floods in Spain
• 95 fatalities have been reported at the moment
• Spanish league has postponed weekend matches in Valencia region

The Copa del Rey matches involving Valencia and Levante have been postponed due to devastating floods in southern Spain, which have resulted in at least 95 fatalities and significant disruption. These flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers, and disrupted rail lines and highways, marking one of the worst natural disasters in recent memory for the country.

In response to the situation, the Spanish league has announced that all weekend matches in the Valencia region will be postponed, including Valencia's match against Real Madrid and Villarreal's clash with Rayo Vallecano. Additionally, three second-division games are expected to be affected.

Athletes and clubs have expressed their support for those impacted by the floods. Notable figures like Vin­cius Jºnior, Luka Modric, Sergio Ramos, Diego Simeone, and Thibaut Courtois have shared messages on social media. Real Madrid stated, “We are deeply saddened and express our solidarity with all the people affected by this catastrophe, conveying our full support and sympathy.” Both Madrid and Barcelona teams observed a moment of silence during training sessions on Wednesday.

Tennis stars Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz, as well as Formula One driver Carlos Sainz, also voiced their support. Nadal remarked on X, “Today was a sad day with the suffering and pain caused by the floods. Everyone's hearts are hurting seeing those images.”

Valencia was scheduled to play Parla Escuela in the Copa del Rey on Wednesday, while Levante was set to visit Pontevedra. Other midweek Copa matches in the affected southern region were cancelled as well.

The upcoming season-ending MotoGP race in Valencia is now in doubt due to reports of heavy damage at the Circuito Ricardo Tormo caused by the floods. Furthermore, several basketball games have had to be rescheduled as travel disruptions continue across Spain.

The rainstorms, which began on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, caused widespread flooding from Malaga to Valencia, with muddy torrents sweeping vehicles and debris through the streets. Emergency services, including police and rescue teams, have utilized helicopters to lift people from homes and rubber boats to assist drivers stranded on cars.