Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate court controversy with Ceuta solidarity shirts

Real Madrid players Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate are in the spotlight having obscured a solidarity message on their shirts linked to Ceuta, the Spanish enclave which has become a political flashpoint over the influx of migrants from Morocco.

All players from Real Madrid and their Spanish competitor Elche wore a white shirt carrying the slogan: “Todos somos caballas” (“We are all mackerels”) over their team shirts prior to their La Liga match on Tuesday.

However, Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Konate rolled up the white shirts to their chests, covering some of the text, before walking onto the pitch and removing them as players shook hands before kickoff.

In a sign of how divisive the episode has become, some commenting on social media saw the move as the players’ disregard for the issue, which has prompted solidarity protests across Spain, while others praised the trio for wearing the shirt in the first place. The players were also lauded by some for obscuring the message.

The slogan is a reference to the people of Ceuta as caballas is a nickname for locals.

The two clubs had asked the players to wear the shirt.

“Before the start of the match between Elche and Real Madrid, players from both teams took to the pitch at Manuel Martinez Valero Stadium wearing shirts that read ‘todos somos caballas’ as a show of solidarity with Ceuta,” Real Madrid said on its website.

Social media videos showed Vinicius and Mbappe rolling up their shirts after putting them on as they waited to step out.

According to FIFA’s rulebook, clothing worn by players “must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images”.

However, footballers displaying such messages have avoided fines or bans in recent years.

Al Jazeera asked FIFA if the La Liga players or clubs will face any sanctions for displaying the message. The global governing body pointed out that any disciplinary action falls under the remit of La Liga, the Spanish football federation (RFEF) and European football body UEFA.

La Liga, RFEF and UEFA did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for a comment.

Morocco’s Ezzalzouli criticised for wearing shirt

Several La Liga clubs have shown solidarity with the people of Ceuta over the past week, with Real Betis’s Moroccan winger Abde Ezzalzouli wearing the shirt prior to a match against Villarreal on Monday.

Ezzalzouli, who was born in Morocco and raised in Spain, was criticised by Moroccan fans amid ongoing rifts between Spain and Morocco over the Ceuta crisis and various other points of tension.

The 24-year-old said he did not aim to disrespect Morocco.

“I want to make one thing clear – at no point was the shirt referring to the people of Ceuta used with a political objective or out of contempt for my people, the Moroccan people,” said Abde in an Instagram post.

The former Barcelona winger described it as a social gesture in support of the population of the city “regardless of their nationality”.

“This is not an apology to anyone,” he added. “I will continue to hold my head high and represent my roots with pride and sacrifice.”

Real Betis are due to play a friendly against Ceuta on October 1 in Seville to raise funds and show support for the city.

Political tensions over migrant crossing

More than 70,000 people entered Ceuta from nearby Morocco on July 30 and 31 in a surge that left scores dead and raised concerns in some European nations over migration.

Most returned in the hours following their arrival, but several thousand remain in Ceuta.

Last week, Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there was no evidence of Rabat’s involvement in the crossing.

Ceuta is an autonomous Spanish city on the northern coast of Africa bordering Morocco. Ceuta and Melilla are the only remaining European-held territories on the African mainland.

Ceuta’s location makes it one of the main entry points for people trying to reach Europe. The enclave is protected by high border fences, surveillance systems, and a permanent deployment of Spain’s Civil Guard and National Police.

Morocco does not recognise Madrid’s sovereignty over both enclaves, regarding them as occupied territory.