Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, two major stars of Real Madrid, unexpectedly concealed the club's message of solidarity in support of Ceuta ahead of a crucial match. T-shirts emblazoned with the slogan 'We are all Caballas' were given to the players to show support for the Ceuta community. This action came in response to the immigration crisis affecting this region of Spain.
Immigration Crisis and the Situation in Ceuta
Last summer, Spain faced a serious border crisis that resulted in the arrival of 80,000 migrants, mostly young Moroccans, on July 30 and 31. At least 57 people lost their lives in the process. This crisis has once again brought the issue of Spanish sovereignty over Ceuta, which has been disputed since 1956, to the forefront of Spanish political news. The president of Ceuta has stated that 13,000 of these migrants are currently remaining in the area.
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Reactions from Players and Fans
Ahead of Real Madrid's 3-2 victory over Elche on Tuesday night, all team members were supposed to wear solidarity t-shirts. However, surprisingly, Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Ibrahima Konaté were the only players who wore the t-shirts in a way that concealed the message on them. Their action clearly indicated their disagreement with this message. Although none of the players have publicly explained their stance on Ceuta, images and videos from that night speak volumes.
This controversial action has sparked anger among many fans. Some have called for these two stars to be mocked until they leave Real Madrid, while others are demanding harsher penalties from Florentino Pérez, the club president. One fan wrote: 'It is shameful that these millionaires disrespect their compatriots in Ceuta like this.' In contrast, a player from Real Betis, Azzedine Ounahi, who wore the solidarity t-shirt during his game, faced severe criticism from his compatriots.
The issue of Ceuta has particularly become one of the important political matters in Spain in recent days. The Spanish government is preparing accommodation for up to 10,000 migrants in Ceuta. Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, emphasized that the government has not failed in managing this crisis and stated, 'We could not cope with this volume of migrant arrivals.' He also announced that by the end of the week, 6,000 places for migrants in Ceuta will be provided, and the capacity of this facility will be increased to 10,000 people.
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