Real Madrid president Florentino Perez receives warm welcome during Ceuta visit

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was given a warm reception by residents in Ceuta on Friday as the club visited the autonomous city to show its support amid a growing irregular migration crisis.

Perez travelled with Real Madrid’s honorary president Pirri and institutional relations director Emilio Butragueno. Dozens of people gathered outside the local government headquarters, applauding the delegation and chanting “Florentino, Florentino” as the club president arrived.

Many supporters carried flags bearing the colours of Real Madrid and Ceuta Sports Club. Perez and Pirri also signed the city’s book of honour, while residents expressed their gratitude for the club’s decision to visit.

The trip follows a controversy involving Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate. The three players wore a solidarity shirt referring to Ceuta only partially during Real Madrid’s fixture at Elche, prompting debate over the club’s position.

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 at the same time by the Valencia Association of Businessmen.

The club did not impose a uniform instruction on its players, saying it respected their individual motivations. However, Perez’s visit, alongside Pirri and the delegation, was intended to provide a clear expression of Real Madrid’s support and its desire to help the city during the current crisis.

Juan Jesus Vivas, president of Ceuta, explained how the visit came about. He was in Brussels discussing the situation facing the city when he contacted 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 presence of Real Madrid is an important opportunity to draw attention to its situation and to the slogan: “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended, Ceuta is Spanish.”

During the events in the city, Perez praised Vivas and described him as “the most respected president in Spain”, according to Europa Press.

Video footage showed residents welcoming Perez on Friday morning, with the gathering taking place outside the local government offices as the Real Madrid delegation arrived.