Ivan Balliu - Soccer News, Rumors, & Updates

Back in contention after ankle issue Balliu has recovered from his ankle injury and is fit for Saturday's La Liga matchup against Athletic Club, according to the club.

Impact Balliu had been training separately from the squad due to a lingering ankle issue that also forced him to miss Rayo Vallecano's recent friendly against Cagliari. However, the right-back has now been cleared for selection, providing Rayo with an additional defensive option ahead of Saturday's matchup. Given his recent fitness concerns and limited preparation with the rest of the squad, Balliu could initially be restricted to a substitute role as he works his way back to full match fitness.

OCTOBER 10 • ROTOWIRE

Still sidelined with ankle injury Balliu (ankle) remains out for Saturday's La Liga clash against Athletic Club as he continues to train separately from the squad due to lingering ankle discomfort, the club posted.

Impact Balliu has yet to fully recover from the ankle issue that kept him out of Rayo Vallecano's recent friendly against Cagliari, with the right-back still working individually rather than participating in team training. His continued absence from group sessions rules him out of Saturday's matchup against Athletic Club, although no timetable for his return has been established. Balliu will need to make further progress in his recovery before being cleared to resume full training and compete for playing time on the right side of Rayo's defense.

OCTOBER 9 • ROTOWIRE

Doesn't play in friendly Balliu (ankle) wasn't in the squad for Saturday's friendly against Cagliari, according to Pasion por el Rayo.

Impact Balliu was spotted in warm-ups ahead of this game, but the right-back didn't play, and he was one of three defenders out for this contest alongside Luiz Felipe (hamstring) and Adria Pedrosa (undisclosed). Balliu has been training in recent days, though, and he should remain an option to face Athletic Club on Oct. 10 when the LaLiga campaign resumes.

OCTOBER 3 • ROTOWIRE

Dealing with ankle discomfort Balliu has not been training with the group the past few days due to ankle discomfort, according to Union Rayo.

Impact Balliu has not been training with the group due to injury and now will not travel for a friendly during the break, as the defender is dealing with ankle discomfort. His recovery process has not been followed too closely, leaving his availability after the break up in the air. The good news is he has mainly served as a depth option, so it wouldn't be a major loss, only starting in two of his six appearances this season.

OCTOBER 2 • ROTOWIRE

Available off bench Balliu (ankle) is on the bench for Saturday's game against Real Madrid.

Impact Balliu is an option off the bench for this contest, as he seems to have recovered enough from a harsh tackle he suffered in the previous match against Racing Santander. Balliu is expected to be an option off the bench in most games as long as Andrei Ratiu remains available.

SEPTEMBER 12 • ROTOWIRE

Battling to be ready Balliu suffered a very strong tackle against Racing and has a battered ankle, but is doing everything to be ready for Saturday's clash against Real Madrid, according to coach Benat...

Impact Balliu has made three LaLiga appearances this season, playing 195 minutes without a goal or assist for Rayo Vallecano, and this ankle issue is a concerning development to monitor ahead of the match against Real Madrid. His fighting attitude gives some hope he could still be involved, though his availability will ultimately depend on how the ankle responds in the coming hours.

SEPTEMBER 11 • ROTOWIRE

Available against Real Madrid Balliu (undisclosed) is an option for Sunday's clash against Real Madrid, coach Inigo Perez said in the press conference, according to Union Rayo. "Only Unai is out."

Impact Balliu missed the last two games due to injury but trained in full in recent days with Rayo Vallecano and is back available for Sunday's clash against the Merengues. The right-back will likely regain his backup role behind Andrei Ratiu (leg) who is also back available for the game.

JANUARY 31 • ROTOWIRE

Returns to training Balliu (undisclosed) returned to training earlier in the week and could be an option for Sunday's game against Real Madrid, according to Union Rayo.

Impact Rayo Vallecano have welcomed both Balliu and Andrei Ratiu (leg) back in training Friday, so the team will have at least one natural right-back available for the matchup against Real Madrid. Balliu has been a backup for Rayo during most of the season, and if he plays, he's likely to face a complicated matchup against one of the best attacks in LaLiga.

JANUARY 30 • ROTOWIRE

Ruled out again Balliu (undisclosed) won't be available for Sunday's clash against Celta Vigo due to injury, coach Inigo Perez said in the press conference, according to Union Rayo.

Impact Balliu seems to have not recovered fully from his recent setback since he won't be an option for Sunday's clash against Celta Vigo. With Andrei Ratiu (leg) also sidelined, coach Inigo Perez is getting short in options and could play a player out of position, although Pacha Espino might get the starting spot.

JANUARY 17 • ROTOWIRE

Back available Sunday Balliu (undisclosed) is an option for Sunday's clash against Mallorca, coach Inigo Perez said in the press conference, according to Union Rayo Live. "He will be available tomorrow....

Impact Balliu missed the last game due to an undisclosed injury but trained in full this week and is an option again for Sunday's clash against Mallorca. This is great news for Rayo Vallecano, although the defender's return will not impact the starting XI since he was mainly a bench option this season in the backline.

JANUARY 10 • ROTOWIRE

Could return this weekend Balliu (undisclosed) returned to group training Friday and could be an option for Sunday's game against Mallorca, according to Union Rayo.

Impact Balliu suffered an injury against Elche just before the Christmas break, but he left the muscular issues behind him and should be an option Friday. He's not expected to see regular minutes, though, as he's just the backup at right-back behind Andrei Ratiu.

JANUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE

Suffers first half injury Balliu was forced off the field in the 32nd minute of Sunday's match against Elche due to an apparent injury.

Impact Balliu was in the starting XI Sunday but didn't make it out of the first half, with the defender withdrawn due to an injury. This is rough for the defender who is earning his first start since Sept. 24, mainly appearing off the bench this campaign. An injury to the defender is unlikely to set the club back if he misses time, with Fran Perez taking his spot Sunday.

DECEMBER 21, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Bench spot Monday Balliu (undisclosed) is on the bench for Monday's match against Valencia.

Impact Balliu was appearing to be an option ahead of Monday's match and is now fit, with the defender available from the bench. The defender is more of a rotational option for the club, likely to remain on the bench moving forward, while going unused often.

DECEMBER 1, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Appears to be option Balliu (undisclosed) is an option for Monday's match against Valencia, according to manager Inigo Perez. "Well, Ivan is fine, he is still sore because it was a very strong blow."

Impact Balliu came off midweek with an injury but appears to only be dealing with a knock, as the defender has been cleared for play. This is solid news, although he will likely still need some testing to decide how much he can play. He has been more of a rotational option recently, likely to earn a bench spot if an option.

NOVEMBER 30, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Exits due to injury Balliu was subbed off during Thursday's Europa League match against Slovan Bratislava due to injury after suffering an awkward fall.

Impact Balliu suffered a fall and an apparent hit on the head/neck region, so Rayo decided to sub him off. This means Andrei Ratiu will take his place going forward. Ratiu is the regular starter in league play, so Balliu's absence won't affect many fantasy decisions.

NOVEMBER 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Signs contract extension Balliu signed a new contract with Rayo Vallecano until the end of the 2026/27 season, the team announced Thursday.

Impact Balliu has been relegated to a secondary role this season, as he's had more games in which he's been an unused sub (10) than starts (eight) since Andrei Ratiu has taken over as the starting right-back. However, Balliu is one of the longest-tenured players in the Rayo squad, and he's expected to remain in the squad as an experienced depth option for years to come following this new contract.

FEBRUARY 27, 2025 • ROTOWIRE

Plays full game Balliu recorded two crosses (zero accurate) and one tackle in Sunday's 1-0 loss against Mallorca.

Impact Balliu contributed defensively with two clearances, one tackle, and one interception, while maintaining involvement with 51 touches during the game. He has featured in nine matches this season, starting six of them. Over his last three appearances, Balliu has been reliable at the back, accumulating seven clearances, three tackles, and three interceptions.

OCTOBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Comes off the bench against Espanyol Balliu recorded one tackle (zero won) in Saturday's 2-1 loss against Espanyol.

Impact Balliu came on for Sergio Camello in the 62nd minute, recording 18 touches and completing just four passes. After starting the previous two games, he found himself on the bench for this match. Last season, he was a consistent presence with 33 appearances (32 starts) and will aim to regain his place in the starting lineup to secure similar minutes this season.

AUGUST 31, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Assist on two chances created Balliu assisted once to go with three crosses (zero accurate) and two chances created in Saturday's 2-1 win versus Osasuna.

Impact For the first time since the 2021-22 La Liga, Balliu has logged an assist in league action. The right-back also broke a relative drought in chances creations, as Saturday's appearance marked his first with multiple of them created since February.

APRIL 20, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Attempts four crosses Balliu registered four crosses (one accurate) and one clearance in Sunday's 0-0 draw versus Celta Vigo.

Impact Balliu attempted to influence the match from the flanks, whipping in four crosses (one accurate) in Rayo Vallecano's 0-0 draw with Celta Vigo on Sunday. On the campaign, Balliu has crossed the ball into the box with less frequency (2.15 crosses per appearance in 2023-2024; 2.84 crosses per appearance in 2022-2023). However, Balliu has been more clinical with his crossing attempts, completing 24% of his crosses in 2023-2024 in comparison to his rate of 20% accurate crosses in 2022-2023.

APRIL 1, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Makes four clearances Balliu took one shot (on goal), crossed once inaccurately and made four clearances during Tuesday's 2-0 win over Getafe.

Impact Balliu helped Rayo keep a clean sheet as a member of the back four Tuesday. The fullback has crossed four times in his last three starts while also making 15 clearances over the same timeframe.

JANUARY 2, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Sends two crosses in loss Balliu recorded one shot (zero on goal) and two crosses (one accurate) in Friday's 1-0 loss to Osasuna. He also notched seven clearances, two tackles and two interceptions.

Impact Balliu was active on both ends of the pitch, and while most of his contributions came on the defensive end, it's worth noting he also attempted to push the ball forward on the right flank on any chance he got. Balliu has earned most of his value via defensive stats, however, as he has failed to record an assist or a goal in his previous 15 league appearances.

DECEMBER 17, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Fit for Girona contest Balliu is a substitute option for Saturday's game versus Girona.

Impact Balliu resumed training earlier this week and is available after missing one match, but he will begin on the bench after starting all the previous games. He has tallied five key passes, 14 crosses (two accurate), and 12 clearances in his last five appearances.

NOVEMBER 11, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Back on grass Balliu (undisclosed) was seen on the grass with the ball training ahead of Saturday's match against Girona.

Impact Balliu did not travel to Real Madrid on Sunday with an undisclosed injury, but is back to training and will aim for a return Saturday. He had previously started and played all 90 minutes the last 11 matches, recording an average of 2.4 crosses per game. If all goes well, the defender should get the start at right back.

NOVEMBER 8, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

Continues as starter Balliu kept nine clean sheets in 37 La Liga appearances (all starts) this season for Rayo Vallecano.

Impact Balliu has started 72 of a possible 76 league matches across the last two campaigns for Rayo, and the 31-year-old should continue as the preferred right-back next season ahead of Mario Hernandez.

JUNE 27, 2023 • ROTOWIRE

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