Ceuta crisis enters football as Real Madrid players oppose club's support

The Spanish exclave of Ceuta has remained in the headlines for weeks following a mass surge of Moroccan migrants into the small territory in North Africa. The incident has been discussed by politicians across Europe, with several governments, including Italy and France, tightening border controls.

It has since become a subject of political debate, with many far-right parties jumping on the opportunity to analyse the case in supporting anti-immigration policies, and has now even reached the fields of professional football.

Football stars Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their pre-game T-shirts ahead of Real Madrid’s match at Elche this week in an attempt to conceal a message of support for the people of Ceuta printed on the garments, as sport outlets report.

Players from both sides walked onto the pitch at Elche’s Martinez Valero stadium wearing white T-shirts carrying the message “Todos somos caballas” — translated as “We are all Ceutans” — along with references to the Spanish autonomous city.

While most players wore the shirts fully, Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate had theirs rolled up to around chest height, covering part of the slogan.

Mbappe and Vinicius then removed their shirts before the pre-match handshake, while Konate kept his on for longer. Their teammates and the Elche players continued to wear the shirts during the pre-match formalities.

This is not the first time Real Madrid has shown support for Ceuta. Before their Champions League meeting with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on September 8, supporters in the south stand displayed cards featuring the coat of arms of the autonomous city, while the rest of the stadium joined the tribute with a round of applause.

The initiative was part of a wider show of support for Ceuta following a major migration crisis in the Spanish territory after thousands of people entered from Morocco.

The stance by the Real Madrid players follows the case of Moroccan Abdessamad Ezzalzouli. The left winger, who plays in La Liga for Real Betis, wore a shirt in support of Ceuta before his side’s match against Villarreal this week, exposing him to a wave of criticism and insults from many Moroccans online.

Ezzalzouli responded in a statement on his Instagram account: “First, I would like to clarify one thing, which is that the shirt referring to the city of Ceuta was at no moment used for a political purpose or with the intention of showing contempt for a people, the Moroccan people.”

The Real Betis player added: “This shirt had a social character, within the framework of supporting the residents and people of a region who were living through a difficult situation, regardless of their nationality.”

He concluded: “But at the same time, this is not an apology to anyone, and anyone who wishes to exploit this matter to question my love for my country is free to do so. As for me, I will continue to live every day with my head held high, and I will continue to represent my roots with pride and sacrifice.”

At least 72,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Ceuta on July 30 and 31. Most swam around a border fence, and at least 100 people died during the crossing, according to figures from Ceuta’s mayor.

Although most migrants returned, as many as 5,000 remained in makeshift camps or slept on the city’s streets and beaches, leading to unrest in the autonomous Spanish city in North Africa.

Locals have expressed safety concerns, while some have destroyed shelters and blocked aid being supplied to the migrants.

For publication, the migration figures and the players’ actions would be worth checking against the original match footage and official sources, particularly because both are central to the story.

By Nazrin Sadigova