Real Madrid drag Barcelona into ‘We are all Ceuta’ shirt dispute

Real Madrid have brought Barcelona into the controversy surrounding three of their players hiding the “We are all Ceuta” message on their shirts before the match against Elche.

Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate concealed the message, prompting criticism of their actions. Real Madrid have defended the players and, according to Catalan newspaper Sport, referred to Barcelona’s previous decision not to wear the same shirt during their match against Levante.

In a message directed towards media outlets close to the club, Real Madrid questioned why Barcelona had not faced a similar reaction after declining to take part in the initiative. The implication was that criticism over the shirt issue should not be directed at the Madrid club alone.

Sport described the comparison as a hidden accusation against Barcelona. The newspaper said Real Madrid had placed the club’s institutional decision alongside the actions of three individual players who chose to cover the message on their shirts.

The report stressed that the two situations were not identical. Barcelona made a club-wide decision not to participate in the initiative, while the Real Madrid incident involved the conduct of three players within the team.

The Catalan newspaper also highlighted the wording used by Real Madrid in its message: “And nobody said anything.”

It said the club had invoked Barcelona’s position as part of its defence after Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate were criticised. The dispute, which initially focused on the players’ decision before the Elche match, has consequently developed into another argument between the two Spanish clubs.

According to Sport, Real Madrid’s decision to bring Barcelona into the discussion has created a new line of debate, even though the original issue concerned the actions of the three players and their decision to hide the message.

The controversy follows an incident involving Real Betis forward Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, who wore a shirt supporting Ceuta before his side’s match against Villarreal on Monday. He was subsequently subjected to a wave of criticism and insults from many Moroccans.

Ezzalzouli responded in a statement posted on his Instagram account.

“First, I would like to clarify one thing: at no point was the shirt referring to the city of Ceuta used for political reasons or with the intention of showing contempt towards the Moroccan people,” he wrote.

He added: “The shirt had a social purpose, as part of supporting the residents and people of an area who were experiencing a difficult situation, regardless of their nationality.”

Ezzalzouli concluded: “At the same time, this is not an apology to anyone. Anyone who wants to use this matter to question my love for my country is free to do so. For my part, I will continue to live every day with my head held high, and I will continue to represent my roots with pride and sacrifice.”