Real Madrid president Florentino Perez visits Ceuta amid migration crisis

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has led a club delegation to Ceuta to show support for the city amid the escalating crisis surrounding illegal migration.

Perez travelled on Friday alongside honorary president Pirri, while Emilio Butragueno, the club’s director of institutional relations, also accompanied the group. Their visit followed the controversy involving Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate, who wore Ceuta solidarity shirts only partially during an event in Elche.

According to AS, Perez’s aim was to offer Real Madrid’s full backing and bring greater attention to the serious situation facing the Spanish autonomous city.

The visit also brought an end to the dispute over the shirts worn by the three players. Real Madrid had accepted an invitation from Elche, alongside Villarreal, Levante and Valencia, to wear shirts “in support of the city of Ceuta”. The initiative was launched by the Valencian Business Association.

However, the club did not impose a single instruction on its players. Real Madrid respects the individual motivations of its squad, while the presence of Perez, Pirri and the delegation in Ceuta was intended to demonstrate the club’s support clearly and its desire to help the city during the crisis.

Warm welcome for Real Madrid delegation

Juan Jesus Vivas, the president of Ceuta, explained how the visit came about. He was in Brussels discussing the city’s problems when he called Perez to thank him for a gesture made by Real Madrid during their match against Inter Milan, when a mosaic supporting Ceuta was displayed in the south stand.

Vivas and Perez have a good relationship, and the Real Madrid president accepted the invitation to visit without hesitation.

For Ceuta, the arrival of the delegation represents an important opportunity to highlight its position and its slogan: “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended, Ceuta is Spanish.”

Dozens of residents gathered outside the local government headquarters to applaud the visitors. Perez and Pirri received a particularly enthusiastic reception, with supporters chanting: “Florentino… Florentino.”

Large groups of people carried Real Madrid and Ceuta Sports Club flags, while residents offered repeated messages of thanks and support for the club’s decision to visit the autonomous city.

Perez and Pirri also signed the official visitors’ book. The Real Madrid president praised Vivas, describing him as “the most respected president in Spain”, according to Europa Press, which reported on the events in the city.