Alemão just sent Rayo to the Conference League Final. He almost spent this season in Mexico instead.
Rayo Vallecano are not rich, nor are they a massive club. They are nowhere near the two powerhouses in Madrid in terms of money, reputation, or performances. Their stadium is old and far from state-of-the-art. President Raúl Martín Presa is not particularly popular. This team, in theory, has little going for it beyond a passionate fan base. And yet, in just under three weeks, they will play a European final.
Up against wealthy Ligue 1 side Racing Club Strasbourg, bankrolled by BlueCo., in the semifinals, Rayo came away with two victories to go through with a shock 2-0 aggregate win. In the process, this clinched an all-important fifth Champions League spot for La Liga next season. Most importantly, for the first time, Rayo Vallecano will play in a European final when they face off against Crystal Palace. And it’s all thanks to a largely unknown journeyman striker named Alemão.
Alexandre Zurawski is something of an odd player. For a start, his nickname, Alemão, means “German” in Portuguese. The 28-year-old striker is notably not German, but is instead Brazilian with Polish heritage. Then there’s his career path itself. For the first five years of his career, he played in Brazil, with the exception of a stray loan spell in Japan’s second tier. Then, in 2023, he went to Spain.
Alemão joined Segunda División side Real Oviedo on loan in 2023. The ambitious Asturians were looking to return to La Liga for the first time since 2001. The striker, at the time playing for Internacional in Brazil’s Série A, was the perfect fit. After a slow start to the season, he became a regular and scored twice in the promotion playoffs, including in the first leg of the final. However, RCD Espanyol won 2-1 on aggregate, sending the Catalan side up instead.
The following season, Alemão made his real impact. The striker scored 14 goals and assisted four as Oviedo again reached the playoffs despite a late managerial change. In the playoffs, he found himself with a significantly reduced role. He recorded no goal contributions and started neither leg of the final against CD Mirandés. He was on the field, though, in extra time as Oviedo struck to return to La Liga in dramatic fashion.
While he celebrated with the rest of the team, Alemão’s loan was up that summer. Even though he was the only Oviedo player to manage double-digit goals the season before, the club did not make his loan permanent. He eventually signed for Liga MX side CF Pachuca on a permanent deal as the replacement for veteran striker Salomón Rondón… who was joining Real Oviedo.
These moves ended up being an absolute disaster for all parties. Rondón was one of a series of poor signings made by Oviedo, who are now destined for relegation. By January, he was back in Mexico with Pachuca. This development ended up being good for Pachuca, at least, because Alemão, who joined in mid-July, wouldn’t last in Mexico past September.
Bizarrely, the Brazilian striker played exactly six games before making a U-turn and returning to Spain. On deadline day, he headed to a Rayo Vallecano side preparing to play in the UEFA Europa Conference League after a surprisingly good season saw Iñigo Pérez’s side finish 8th. Having lasted only two months at his previous club, the Brazilian was perhaps bold to sign a five-year deal with the La Liga side.
While his early impact was limited, perhaps from the jet lag of going from Spain to Mexico to Spain, he is certainly justifying the move now.
With Rayo somewhat thin in attack to close out the season, Alemão has stepped up. He scored a brace in Türkiye to help the club past Samsunspor in the Round of 16, while his two goals in the semi-finals won’t be forgotten by Rayo fans anytime soon.
Both were traditional strikers’ goals. In the first leg, he nodded home from a corner, while in the second, he fired home a rebound from inside the six-yard box. Not a surprise, given how important physicality is for the 6’0″ striker’s game. He now has twice as many goals in the Conference League (four) as he does in La Liga (two).
Alemão probably hasn’t realized it yet, but he has done a massive service to La Liga. His goal clinched not just the spot in the final, but mathematically guarantees five La Liga teams in the Champions League next season — crucial for a league with clubs that have struggled financially in recent years. Rayo get not only the chance to win a European final, but also prize money and potentially a spot in the Europa League next year, assuming they beat Crystal Palace.
Beating Crystal Palace is far from a guarantee. In fact, if there’s ever a game that shows financial disparities between two leagues, this is it. Palace, who won the FA Cup last year, splurged on stars and depth alike ahead of their European campaign. Yéremy Pino, a rising star from Villarreal, was brought in for a reported €30 million. Christantus Uche, who was essential to Getafe, was signed on loan, but has been little more than a role player in England.
Rayo, meanwhile, have had to be far more resourceful, and, in many cases, creative, with their signings. Alemão is proof of that. But, like so many things for Rayo this season, it has somehow worked out. Forgotten in Mexico, the Brazilian has already become a hero in Vallecas. He’ll hope to add to his legacy in three weeks’ time.
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Image via @Tuzos (X).
