At Elche’s Martínez Valero, a LaLiga show of support for Ceuta unfolded against the backdrop of renewed migrant arrivals on Spain’s North African border. Before Real Madrid’s visit, most players from both sides displayed a white shirt reading “We are all caballas”, the popular name for people from the autonomous city, but Vinícius Júnior, Kylian Mbappé and Ibrahima Konaté did not reveal the message during the formal pre-match ceremony.
Vinícius, Mbappé and Konaté do not display Ceuta message
The initiative had been requested by Elche and adopted by LaLiga in response to the circumstances in Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city on the African continent that borders Morocco.
- Elche and Real Madrid players entered the pitch wearing white tops bearing the phrase “We are all caballas”.
- Vinícius Júnior, Mbappé and Konaté were given the garments in the players’ tunnel, as were their teammates.
- The three players wore the shirts without lifting them to show the solidarity message during the protocol.
- They removed the tops as soon as the LaLiga ceremony had ended.
No reason for their decision was stated in the events surrounding the match.
Ceuta faces another period of migrant arrivals
Ceuta has recently received hundreds of people arriving through irregular routes. Some reached its coastline by swimming, while others used inflatable floats to pass around the Tarajal breakwater, one of the structures marking the frontier with Morocco.
The pressure became particularly acute on 30 July, when hundreds of migrants crossed the border fence and stretched the operational capacity of Spain’s Guardia Civil. Spain’s national government subsequently announced the deployment of military units to reinforce security work and assist police in the enclave.
The developments recalled the larger emergency of May 2021, when thousands entered Ceuta over a short period, placing exceptional demands on reception services and emergency responders.
Migration backgrounds around the Real Madrid group
Mbappé’s family history includes several migration links. His father, Wilfried Mbappé, is from Cameroon and has Nigerian roots, while his mother, Fayza Lamari, was born in France and has Algerian ancestry.
Konaté is the son of parents from Mali who belong to a migrant community established in France.
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