On Matchday 22 of LaLiga, I had the opportunity to cover the match between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano as a pitchside photographer. It was a day that will likely stay with me forever.
From the moment I received the assignment and saw that I was scheduled to work as a photographer, I felt a growing sense of nervous excitement. I knew that something incredible awaited me that Sunday, and my expectations were more than fulfilled.
Normally, we take the elevator up to the eighth floor of the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu. On this day, however, we headed down to the basement level. We collected our chairs and stepped onto the pitch. As early as 90 minutes before kick off, the stadium was already buzzing, and the special atmosphere was impossible to miss. We could not stop being amazed.
After placing our chairs, we made our way to the players’ tunnel. There, we waited for the teams to come out for their warm up and used the time to take in the stadium, finding ourselves right at the heart of it all.
Then the moment arrived. The first players stepped onto the pitch and ran straight past us. It felt surreal to see the faces usually only known from the screen right in front of us. In that moment, it truly sank in that these were real people.
The absolute highlight followed with the teams walking out to the pitch, accompanied by the Madrid anthem sung loudly by the entire stadium. Although this moment is impressive at every match, experiencing it from so close made it even more emotional. The players were right in front of us and the fans were cheering loudly in the background.
After the warm up and the walkout, we moved to our positions and prepared to photograph the match.
Vinícius Júnior gave the hosts an early lead in the 15th minute. Luckily for us, the Brazilian celebrated right in front of our cameras, creating a perfect photographic moment. No further goals were scored in the first half, although Real Madrid dominated large parts of the game.
Shortly after the break, Jorge de Frutos equalised for Rayo Vallecano. Once again, the goal celebration happened directly in front of our lenses. The match remained intense, marked by high emotions and two red cards for Rayo. What stayed with me most were the incredibly loud whistles from the fans. Moments like these highlight the immense pressure the players are under and how many eyes are constantly on them. It was only in injury time that Kylian Mbappé converted a controversial penalty to secure the three points for Real Madrid.
With this win, Real Madrid moved back to within one point of league leaders FC Barcelona, while Rayo Vallecano remain just above the relegation zone.
Even though there were not as many goals as in the Champions League clash against AS Monaco, it was a completely successful day. I am very happy with my photos and even more grateful for the opportunity to experience moments like this. Although I have attended many Real Madrid matches before, this one felt different. Being so close to the players and staff and witnessing their work from up close gave me a completely new perspective on the football business.
1 February 2026 – a day I will still be telling my children about.
