Madrid stars hide solidarity shirts

Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Ibrahima Konate deliberately rolled up their t-shirts before Real Madrid's match against Elche to conceal a 'We are all Caballas' message supporting Ceuta.

Club-wide initiative undermined

Real Madrid's entire squad received the green and white t-shirts as part of a LaLiga-wide initiative to show solidarity with Ceuta residents. Only the three players refused to display the message.

What is Ceuta

Ceuta is a Spanish North African enclave with a population of around 84,000. Morocco has disputed Spanish sovereignty of the territory since Spain's independence in 1956.

Summer migration crisis

Spain declared a state of emergency in July after 80,000 migrants, mostly young Moroccan men, arrived on July 30 and 31. At least 57 people died attempting the journey.

Migrants still in Ceuta

The Ceuta president said 13,000 of the migrants remain in the enclave. Spain is preparing accommodation for up to 10,000 people as authorities work to manage the ongoing crisis.

Government response

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said authorities took in migrants before returning the majority to Morocco, with nine in ten having gone back. He promised accommodation for 6,000 people by week's end.

“What happened is that we couldn't cope with the influx”

Mbappe's visible grimace

Footage showed Mbappe grimacing when putting on the shirt, then copying Vinicius Jr's move to roll it up after seeing what his teammate had done.

No public explanation

None of the three players have publicly explained their opposition to the Ceuta solidarity message. Their actions speak louder than words to supporters watching.

Unique protest at Real

No other players across the nine other LaLiga fixtures that weekend chose to protest the Ceuta solidarity message. The three Real Madrid stars stood alone in their defiance.

Supporters furious

Real Madrid fans expressed outrage online, with some calling for fines and suspensions. One supporter wrote they hoped the players would be booed until they left the club.

“I hope they boo them until the day they leave Real Madrid, utter disgust.”

Calls for discipline

Angry supporters demanded club president Florentino Perez fine the players with three months suspension without pay. They criticized the players for living in luxury while dismissing the plight of Ceuta residents.

“I hope Florentino fines them with 3 months' suspension without a job or pay.”

Moroccan player faces abuse

Ez Abde, a Moroccan player for Real Betis, wore the solidarity t-shirt before his side's match against Villarreal and received a barrage of online abuse from his countrymen.

Sensitive political issue

The Ceuta crisis has been front and centre of Spain's political agenda since July. The issue remains hugely sensitive with deep divisions over how to handle the situation.

LaLiga's unified stance

The initiative for clubs to promote Ceuta solidarity was put forward by LaLiga organisers for this round of fixtures, signaling the league's unified position on the crisis.

International players, local politics

The protest highlights tensions when international players are asked to take stances on local political issues. Mbappe is French, Vinicius Jr is Brazilian, and Konate is French.

Real Madrid's embarrassment

The club's message was undermined in front of the watching world. The three players effectively said 'we do not agree with this stance' through their deliberate actions.

Match result overshadowed

Real Madrid won 3-2 against Elche, but the victory was overshadowed by the shirt controversy. The on-field performance took a backseat to the off-field political statement.