Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their pre-game T-shirts ahead of Real Madrid’s match at Elche on Tuesday to obscure the message of support for the people of Ceuta.
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, bordering Morocco and separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.
Players from both sides walked on to the pitch at Elche’s ground, Martinez Valero, wearing white T-shirts carrying the message “Todos somos caballas” – translated as “We are all Ceutans” – along with references to the Spanish autonomous city.
While most of the players wore the shirts fully, Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate had theirs rolled up to around chest height, obscuring some of the slogan.
Mbappe and Vinicius then removed their shirts before the pre-match handshake, while Konate kept his on for longer. Their team-mates and the Elche players continued to wear the shirts through the pre-match formalities.
This is not the first time Real Madrid have shown support for Ceuta. Before their Champions League meeting with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on 8 September, supporters in the south stand displayed cards featuring the coat of arms of the autonomous city, while the rest of the stadium joined the tribute with a round of applause.
The initiative was part of a wider show of support for Ceuta, following a major migration crisis in the Spanish territory after thousands of people entered from Morocco.
The episode came shortly before a dramatic night for Real Madrid, who recovered from surrendering a two-goal lead to beat Elche 3-2, with Carlos Espi scoring the winner in stoppage time.
Credit: bbc.com
