Mbappé hides solidarity message for Ceuta, sparks controversy in Spain

Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Aurélien Tchouameni folded their solidarity t-shirts before kick-off in the Real Madrid–Elche match (2-3) in La Liga on Tuesday evening, concealing the message “Todos somos caballas” displayed in support of Ceuta residents, the Spanish enclave facing a severe migration crisis. The gesture immediately ignited Spanish media.

While all match participants wore the garment, the three Real Madrid players chose to fold the shirt, hiding much of the message. Ibrahima Konaté simply held the t-shirt in his hand without wearing it.

Faced with the controversy, Real Madrid opted for a stance of neutrality. Through a journalist from El Chiringuito, the club stated it “respects the opinion and individual sensitivity of each employee,” a position confirmed by Mundo Deportivo, which reported the club attaches “no importance” to the episode and believes no one can be forced to wear a shirt.

This stance failed to quell criticism. On Spanish radio, in the Tiempo de Juego programme, journalist Paco González reacted strongly: “It’s a matter for the club: the club asks you to wear it, so you wear it. If it offends a personal conviction, you don’t wear it.” He then directly targeted the players’ behaviour: “For me, wearing the shirt halfway is inadmissible. What is this behaviour? You’re not obeying the club. You’re disrespecting the institution. The club made a decision, that’s it. Otherwise, you say so beforehand and don’t take the field.”

The controversy comes in an already tense context: the day before, Betis player Abde Ezzalzouli had been the target of a wave of hate for accepting to wear the solidarity t-shirt during the match against Villarreal.