Kylian Mbappé has explained why he and Real Madrid teammates Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté partially covered a shirt carrying a message of support for the people of Ceuta before Tuesday’s La Liga match against Elche.
The three players were seen wearing the shirts rolled up, leaving the slogan “Todos somos caballas”, meaning “We are all Ceutans”, partly hidden. They removed the shirts before the match began. The gesture drew criticism from La Liga president Javier Tebas, who said wearing the shirt halfway was effectively the same as not wearing it.
Mbappé said his decision was not intended to disrespect or reject the people of Ceuta. Instead, he said he wanted to use the moment to show solidarity with migrants who have died and those facing difficult circumstances.
The France international said he did not want to place one group’s suffering above another, while making clear that he also supported the people of Ceuta.
The shirts were worn by players from both Real Madrid and Elche before their match at the Martínez Valero Stadium. The initiative was designed as a show of solidarity with Ceuta following the migration crisis that began after more than 70,000 people crossed from Morocco into the Spanish territory in late July.
Tebas said the initiative was not intended as a political act and criticised the three Real Madrid players for not displaying the message fully. Other players wore the shirts normally before taking them off ahead of kick-off.
Real Madrid has defended the players’ freedom of expression while also supporting the solidarity initiative. The club said it respected the individual choice of its players regarding how they participated in the gesture.
The controversy has also generated differing reactions among supporters and on social media, with some criticising the players while others viewed their actions as an attempt to draw attention to migrants who had lost their lives.
Despite the controversy before kick-off, Mbappé played a key role in Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Elche, scoring one goal and providing the assist for the late winner.
