Spain row as Mbappé, Vinicius and Konaté obscure Ceuta support slogan | OneFootball

Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Jr and Ibrahima Konaté concealed a pre-match slogan backing Ceuta residents by half-wearing campaign T-shirts before Real Madrid’s 3-2 win at Elche. According to Le Progres, the line read "Todos somos Caballas", translated as we are all Ceutans.

The incident occurred as the teams walked out at the Martinez-Valero on Tuesday, during La Liga’s sixth round. The three starters did not wear them fully for the pre-match protocol. Mbappé and Vinicius took theirs off early and Konaté kept his in hand.

The Valencian Association of Entrepreneurs had asked clubs playing in the region to wear the message to promote solidarity, proximity and territorial and social cohesion in Spain.

The players have not commented and have faced heavy criticism. Real Madrid had joined the initiative and later defended the trio on grounds of individual freedom. La Liga president Javier Tebas said refusing to wear the shirt properly amounted to not wearing it, adding such gestures are institutional rather than platforms for personal opinion.

The enclave of 28 km² has faced a migration crisis with Morocco, with more than 70,000 people arriving illegally at the end of July, stoking debate on immigration in Spain. Some have since returned to Morocco, yet tensions remain. On Monday, Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli wore the same shirt at Villarreal, then on Tuesday he defended himself on social media after accusations from some users that he had betrayed his country.

Barcelona refused to join the campaign, saying the issue belongs solely to Spanish politics.

Source: Le Progres

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