Rayo Vallecano has stood by its decision to hire disgraced manager Carlos Santiso for its women’s team.In a report by The Guardian, Rayo Vallecano hired Santiso for the role on Friday, despite being aware of a leaked voice note in which the coach tells his staff to find a girl to gang-rape to help team bonding.Santiso was forced to resign from his job with Madrid’s under-12 team when the voice call was leaked in November.In the recording, heard by The Guardian, Santiso references a 2017 case involving three footballers from the Spanish third division team Arandina CF.The three players were sentenced to 38 years in prison for the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl."This staff is incredible, but there are things we still lack, that we still need. We still need, I still say it, to do something like what those from Arandina did, man."We need to grab a girl, but overage so we don’t get ourselves into trouble, and to [cargarnosla – which doesn’t translate directly but broadly means to 'screw her'] there all together."That’s what really brings a staff, a team together. Look at the Arandina lot: they went straight up."

The Federation of Rayo Vallecano supporters’ clubs has demanded the sacking of Santiso, publishing a statement on the situation.

"For Carlos Santiso, sexually abusing a girl is what really unites a team. We cannot allow a person with such grave thoughts in their head to sit on the bench and represent Rayo Vallecano."

The supporters’ clubs also accused Rayo Vallecano President Raúl Martín Presa of "crossing another red line."

Presa, who spoke to Spanish radio station Cadena SER, said he would not be pushed into sacking Santiso. "We sign professionals, not people here," he is quoted as saying.

It is not the first time Rayo Vallecano has made headlines for the treatment of its women’s team.

The union for Spanish female football players reported the conditions at Rayo Vallecano to the country’s Department of Work and Social Security in November.

Complaints included the lack of medical staff, poor training facilities, a lack of housing, and underpayment.

The Rayo Vallecano players also staged a protest to highlight their poor working conditions in November, halting their match with Real Madrid after just 30 seconds.

In December, images of the Barcelona physiotherapist treating a Rayo Vallecano player during a Primera Iberdrola match went viral.

Women’s football fans soon provided context – Rayo Vallecano do not provide medical staff for its female players, forcing the physios on the opposing team to get involved.