Ceuta’s town hall became the focus of a fraught football-political story on Friday, as Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez arrived in the Spanish enclave days after Kylian Mbappé and teammates became embroiled in controversy over a shirt supporting its residents.
Key takeaways
- Florentino Pérez visited Ceuta on Friday in an effort to lower tensions surrounding the recent controversy.
- Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konaté were criticised after partially putting on support shirts for Ceuta’s population.
- The incident followed Real Madrid’s 3-2 victory over Elche on Tuesday night.
- Pérez travelled via Gibraltar before taking a helicopter into the Spanish autonomous enclave.
- He was joined by former Real Madrid figures Pirri and Emilio Butragueño at Ceuta City Hall.
A symbolic trip amid a tense backdrop
Ceuta, on the northern coast of Morocco, has faced a significant migration and political crisis since late July. Against that background, the appearance of Real Madrid players in shirts backing the enclave’s inhabitants quickly became a sensitive issue in Spain.
Mbappé, the France forward and former Paris Saint-Germain star, was among the players involved alongside Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konaté. Their gesture was overshadowed by Madrid’s narrow win against Elche and triggered strong debate across the country.
Pérez arrived in Ceuta late on Friday morning, where around 100 people, including Real Madrid supporters, were waiting outside the Ayuntamiento. The club president made the journey by plane to Gibraltar before being flown by helicopter to the enclave.
Pérez cites friendship with Ceuta-born Pirri
At midday, Pérez was received in the honour room of Ceuta City Hall by Juan Jesús Vivas, the city’s mayor-president. The president of AD Ceuta, who play in Spain’s second division, also attended the reception.
Pirri, whose full name is José Martínez Sánchez, accompanied Pérez alongside Emilio Butragueño. The former Real Madrid great was born in Ceuta in 1945, giving the visit an added personal significance.
Leaving the reception shortly before 1pm, Pérez gave a brief explanation in French: “I came here out of friendship for Pirri.”
The visit carried clear symbolic weight after several days of heightened tension, with Real Madrid hoping the presence of its president and two former club icons can help calm an increasingly charged situation.
