The National Police did not order the evacuation of Levante UD's stadium during last Wednesday's storm. The police force has issued an internal note clarifying that it never received instructions from superiors to clear the Ciutat de València, where 9,000 spectators were waiting for the match against Athletic Club to begin.

The suspension of the game came five minutes before the scheduled 9:30 PM kick-off, due to heavy rain and hail that hit the Valencian Community under an orange alert from Aemet. The exit of fans was managed entirely by the club's private security, which opened the turnstiles to allow voluntary departure or shelter inside. The police operation remained active until 10:30 PM, but did not directly intervene in managing the evacuation.

Institutional conflict

The alleged evacuation order is part of a conflict between the Government Delegate, Pilar Bernabé, and the Mayor of Valencia, María Jose Catalá. Bernabé recalled that, according to the Regional Flood Plan, "it has to be the town council that requests suspension when an orange alert is declared for heavy rain". For her part, Catalá stated she contacted Levante UD to warn them of the situation and that the club passed the final decision to LaLiga, which did not make a ruling. The mayor requested coordination of all administrations in this type of emergency.

The National Police stressed that in such cases, evacuation is always carried out by private security companies with police support, and that their intervention was not needed this time. The incident occurred during a tough week for the team, which enters this break after a 2-4 loss to Barcelona and sits 16th in La Liga with 5 points. Their next fixture is a visit to the ground of Villarreal, a direct rival in the lower part of the table, this Sunday.

The storm caused significant damage across the region, with flooded streets in Camp de Túria, over 80 litres of rainfall accumulated in l'Eliana, and municipalities exceeding 100 litres per square metre. A forest fire was also recorded in Tuéjar and a water surge on the A-3 between Godelleta and Cheste, leading to suspended university classes in Valencia. As the club prepares for the match against Villarreal, striker Brugui, the team's top scorer with 3 goals, will be a key piece in the attempt to earn points away from home.

Background and full detail: levante-emv.com