Rubén Rayos

Rubén Rayos Serna (born 21 June 1986), commonly known as Rayo, is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Cypriot club Anorthosis Famagusta FC.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rayos and the second or maternal family name is Serna.

Rayo

Rayos in 2013.
Personal information
Full name	Rubén Rayos Serna
Date of birth	(1986-06-21) 21 June 1986
Place of birth	Elche, Spain
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9 ^1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team	Anorthosis
Number	10
Youth career
	Elche
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	Elche B
2006–2008	Elche	0	(0)
2006–2008	→ Villajoyosa (loan)	62	(20)
2008–2009	Barcelona B	23	(0)
2009–2010	Orihuela	35	(11)
2010–2011	Lleida	33	(19)
2011–2013	Asteras Tripoli	62	(12)
2013–2015	Maccabi Haifa	54	(17)
2015–2016	Sochaux	12	(0)
2016–	Anorthosis	111	(30)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 9 March 2020

Club career

Rayo was born in Elche, Valencian Community. He finished his formation with local Elche CF, and played only Segunda División B football until the age of 25, representing Villajoyosa CF, FC Barcelona B,[1] Orihuela CF[2] and UE Lleida.[3]

In the summer of 2011, Rayo moved straight into the Superleague Greece, joining a host of compatriots at Asteras Tripoli FC. He scored five league goals in his first season, adding three in the campaign's domestic cup.

In 2012–13, Rayo improved his overall totals to nine goals and 12 assists. In the final of the Greek Cup, against Olympiacos FC, he put his team ahead 1–0, but in an eventual 1–3 extra time loss;[4] he was eventually chosen Best Foreign Player for his exploits[5] and, during most of his spell in Greece, was also club captain.

On 6 June 2013, Rayo signed a three-year contract with Maccabi Haifa FC, netting 11 goals in 27 appearances in his first year to help his new team to the fourth position in the regular season of the Israeli Premier League.[6] However, in March 2014, he was involved in an incident with Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C.'s Rafi Dahan, his harsh tackle producing an anterior cruciate ligament injury to his opponent which sidelined him for almost one year – he received a straight red card for his action,[7][8] and Dahan was eventually forced to retire;[9] following his retirement, Dahan filed a lawsuit against Rayo and Maccabi Haifa in an Israeli court.[10] Dahan won the lawsuit against Rayo and Maccabi Haifa, the judge ruling that Rayo's actions were deliberate.[11]

On 8 July 2015, Rayo joined French side FC Sochaux-Montbéliard, signing a two-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[12] Roughly one year later, he moved to Anorthosis Famagusta FC in the Cypriot First Division.[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 9 March 2020[14]

Club	Season	League			Cup		Continental		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Asteras Tripoli	2011–12	Superleague	27	5	4	3	—		—		31	8
	2012–13		35	7	9	2	4	1	—		48	10
	Total		62	12	13	5	4	1	0	0	79	18
Maccabi Haifa	2013–14	Israeli Premier League	27	11	1	0	12	6	—		40	17
	2014–15		27	6	2	2	—		6	4	35	12
	Total		54	17	3	2	12	6	6	4	75	29
Sochaux	2015–16	Ligue 2	12	0	2	0	—		2	0	16	0
Anorthosis	2016–17	Cypriot First Division	30	8	4	2	—		—		34	10
	2017–18		34	5	2	0	—		—		36	5
	2018–19		24	3	2	0	2	0	—		28	3
	2019–20		23	14	2	1	—		—		25	15
	Total		111	30	10	3	2	0	0	0	123	33
Career total			239	59	28	10	18	7	8	4	293	80

Honours

Club

Asteras Tripoli

• Greek Football Cup runner-up: 2012–13

Individual

• Superleague Greece Player of the Year: 2012–13

References

1. "Rubén Rayos, primer fichaje del Barcelona Atletic" [Rubén Rayos, first Barcelona Atletic signing] (in Spanish). Mundo Blaugrana. 11 July 2008. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
2. "El Orihuela refuerza la plantilla con jugadores de las canteras del Barcelona, Español y Hércules" [Orihuela strengthen squad with players from Barcelona, Español and Hércules youth systems]. La Verdad (in Spanish). 26 August 2009. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
3. "Máyor avala al goleador Rayos" [Máyor gives thumbs up to scorer Rayos]. La Crónica de León (in Spanish). 20 May 2011. Archived from the original on 22 December 2011. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
4. "El Olympiacos de Míchel logra el doblete tras ganar la Copa" [Míchel's Olympiacos get double after Cup win]. Diario AS (in Spanish). 12 May 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
5. "Rubén Rayos, mejor extranjero de la pasada liga griega" [Rubén Rayos, best foreign in last Greek league]. Marca (in Spanish). 5 February 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
6. "Leading goalscorer". Israel Football Association. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
7. "La brutal entrada de Rubén Rayos" [Rubén Rayos' brutal tackle]. Marca (in Spanish). 11 March 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
8. "Piden sanción ejemplar para la brutal entrada de Rayos" [Exemplary sanction wanted for Rayos' brutal tackle]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 11 March 2014. Retrieved 1 October 2014.
9. "Rafi Dahan forced to retire aged just 25 as a result of THAT Rubén Rayos tackle". 101 Great Goals. 6 March 2015. Retrieved 22 June 2015.
10. "מיליון שקלים: תביעת הענק בתיק רפי דהן – ראיוס 21" [Twenty-one million NIS: The big lawsuit in the Dahan – Rayos case] (in Hebrew). Sport 5. 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
11. "חריג ונעשה במכוון : בית המשפט הורה לראיוס ומכבי חיפה לשלם מילונים לשחקן שפצע במשחק" [Exceptional and Deliberate: The court orders Rayos and Maccabi Haifa to pay millions to an injured player] (in Hebrew). Haaretz. 30 December 2019. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
12. "Ruben Rayos à Sochaux (off.)" [Ruben Rayos to Sochaux (off.)]. L'Équipe (in French). 8 July 2015. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
13. "Απόκτηση Ruben Rayos Serna" [Acquisition of Ruben Rayos Serna] (in Greek). Anorthosis Famagusta. 14 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
14. Rubén Rayos at Soccerway

External links

• Rubén Rayos at BDFutbol