Villarreal were due to continue their pursuit of a Champions League spot on Monday night at La Ceramica, while Espanyol had harboured hopes of widening the gap between themselves and the relegation zone. However the match was suspended just minutes after the game was due to start as a result of weather conditions.
In the region of Castellon, there were red weather warnings for flooding from as early as 18:00 CEST, several hours before the game was due to kick off. However it was not until moments before the game with the players in the tunnel that it was announced that the game would be delayed due to rain.
At 21:07, it was announced to the 15,000 fans at La Ceramica who had made the trip that the game was cancelled due to the weather warnings. While the area in Vila-Real itself was relatively unaffected at the time, regions to the North were suffering heavy rainfall which risked flooding, with the memory of the DANA/cold drop flooding in October in the region still fresh in the memory.
The decision to cancel the match so late in the day has been heavily criticised, with some failing to understand the delay. Espanyol Sporting Director Fran Garagarza confirmed to Marca that they would ‘help’ 240 Espanyol fans that had traveled – Los Pericos will assume the cost of the expedition and the tickets for their efforts.
As per Diario AS, the date which is most likely to see the match replayed is the 2nd of April, the first midweek available after the March international break. That would also be the same night that Barcelona travel to Atletico Madrid for the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final. Espanyol, Villarreal, the RFEF and La Liga must all give the green light for the fresh date.
