Seven goals in seven games: how therapy and freedom unlocked Sergio Camello for Rayo Vallecano

Sergio Camello has scored seven goals in his first seven La Liga appearances for Rayo Vallecano this season, leaving only Barcelona’s Raphinha ahead of him across Europe’s top five leagues. It is already the best campaign of his career in the Spanish top flight, surpassing previous seasonal totals of five, three and three.

In an interview with the Guardian, Camello said the transformation stems from a deliberate shift in how he approaches the game. Conversations with his twin brother Gonzalo and sessions in therapy helped him reconnect with the enjoyment he felt playing football as a child. “I try not to think about it but my teammates keep reminding me,” he said of his place among the leading scorers.

Camello described the mental work as less difficult than he had anticipated. He said he was finding he could be himself, feel free and reconnect with what he could offer the club — and that it had been a long time since he had enjoyed football in that way. He also acknowledged that pressure had previously turned setbacks into frustration and then a broader sense of negativity.

The journey has not been without turbulence. After scoring on his first day in the top flight, he found himself recognised on the journey home. The attention that followed his return from the Olympics contributed to an anxiety attack at his usual bar. Camello said he still sees himself as a normal person from a humble team, and stressed that football has brought him far more positive experiences than difficult ones.

The backdrop to his form is an unusual one for Rayo. Madrid’s council declared the Estadio de Vallecas unsafe, forcing the club to play home matches in Leganés; supporters boycotted those games in protest at the temporary move. Camello described the club as part of the neighbourhood rather than simply based in it, and said the closeness between players and local supporters was unlike anything he had experienced elsewhere.

He acknowledged the club’s problems were serious and should not be romanticised, but pointed to the solidarity around Rayo and the way life in the barrio keeps players grounded. The stadium was set to reopen for a home match on 10 October, a moment Camello framed as significant for the whole community.

There is a tactical element to the surge as well. Camello noted that new head coach Beñat San José has altered his movement patterns. But his own account of the run presents it as something deeper than a coaching adjustment — a player who has found his way back to the game on his own terms.