The Spanish league match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano on Sunday was postponed because the floodlights at Vallecas stadium failed to work adequately in a presumed case of sabotage.
Rayo president Raul Martin Presa said unidentified ''vandals'' had ''cut the cables'' on some of the light towers at his club's stadium and ''unfortunately, because of an act of sabotage, we won't be able to stage the game.''
According to Spanish media, the club said the wiring throughout the stadium had been cut in 25 places.
''The game can't be played because the cables have been cut from inside. The saboteurs climbed on the roof, which is difficult to get access to,'' said Presa. ''We will have to make a detailed investigation. There are no cameras to help us get more information.''
The Spanish capital derby was finally called off more than half an hour after it was due to begin following the technicians' failure to repair the damage. Presa said the match will be played on Monday, if the stadium's wiring can be fixed in time.
''The damage is worse than it appeared at first, but we will work hard to fix it as soon as possible,'' Presa said.
After only winning one of its first four games, the match has been billed as a must-win outing for Madrid, which trails Spanish league leader Barcelona by 11 points in the standings.
Rayo is one of the top division's poorest clubs and has been under bankruptcy protection for more than a year.
