Football is usually full of drama, but we usually expect it on the pitch. Before Real Madrid’s match against Elche, the real talking point happened during the tunnel walkout. Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Ibrahima Konaté caught everyone’s eye, not for their pre-match routines, but for how they handled their pre-game shirts. To express solidarity with the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, which suffered from border crises recently, the squad was urged to wear T-shirts with the meaning of “Todos somos caballas” (“We are all Ceutans”). Mbappé and Vinícius rolled the tees up to their chest level to conceal the word, while Konaté carried his in his hands instead of putting it on.
The subtle move was, of course, noticed by eagle eyes and the local media as soon as it happened and caused a lot of discussion on the internet. Ceuta has been at the centre of complex political and humanitarian discussions involving migration between Morocco and Spain. Footballers have huge international fan bases, and a side, whether explicit or implicit, can inspire huge geopolitical counterattacks. The situation was extremely sensitive, as just days ago, Real Betis player Abde Ezzalzouli got wrapped up in a lot of trouble on the internet from Moroccan fans for wearing the same shirt.
Soon after, Mbappé clarified that his move was not to bring “disrespect” to the people of Ceuta. He said that the club had taken the gesture on board, but that what he wanted was the understanding that they should be totally in solidarity with all human victims of migration and difficult situations and that they should not become involved in political framing. Real Madrid was also there to back their stars, and they said that the club is behind the awareness campaign, but “when it comes to personal expression, the club always gives its players complete freedom.
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