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Fan pressure ends Zorzulya's brief stay at Rayo

Xinhua, February 2, 2017 Adjust font size:

Fan pressure has forced Ukranian striker Roman Zozulya to abandon second division Spanish side, Rayo Vallecano less than 24 hours after joining on loan from Betis.

Zozulya joined Madrid based Rayo, a club well-known for the left wing sentiments of the majority of its fans on Tuesday, just ahead of the closing of the January transfer window.

However, he has returned to Betis after fans accused him of links to the far right, with some even turning up for his first training session on Wednesday with a banner saying Rayo was "not a place for Nazis."

The striker, who had made just 6 brief appearances for Betis before his loan, tried to explain his positon in an open letter in which he said his arrival in Spain was "accompanied by a misunderstanding by a journalist who knows very little about the reality of my country and my own career."

"I arrived at Seville airport wearing a shirt with the badge of Ukraine. This journalist reported that I was wearing a shirt from a paramilitary group, whose badge is distinguished from the badge of my country."

"As I stated at my presentation with Real Betis, I'm not linked to any paramilitary or neo-Nazi group."

However, supporters at Rayo did not believe this explanation and Betis' Director of Sport, Miguel Torrecilla said the Seville based club believed it was "in the best interests of the player to return," to the Primera Liga club.

Unfortunately for Zozulya he will not be able to play again this campaign as rules state he cannot be registered as a player three times in the same season and after being registered with Betis in the summer and also with Rayo, he cannot register with Betis again, no matter how short his stay in Madrid. Endit