Real Madrid President Florentino Perez visited Ceuta city hall on Friday to express solidarity with the Spanish territory, clarifying that the trip was not linked to recent events.
On Tuesday, ahead of Real’s La Liga match against Elche, players Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Ibrahima Konate obscured the slogan “We are all mackerels” on shirts worn by their teammates. “Mackerels” is a colloquial term for the people of Ceuta, and the shirts were intended as a show of support.
Mbappe explained on Wednesday that he wished to avoid prioritising the suffering of one group over another. Real Madrid stated they respect their players’ choices but highlighted that they had previously shown support for Ceuta during their Champions League match against Inter Milan a week earlier.
Perez, joined by honorary president Jose Martinez Pirri, a Ceuta native, was welcomed by Regional President Juan Jesus Vivas. At the city hall, Perez emphasised that the event had been planned for several weeks with the Ceuta president, clarifying it was not in response to recent news.
“I want to convey all our support and solidarity during these very difficult times to all Ceutans. It is our wish that normality resumes as soon as possible in Ceuta,” Perez added.
In July, more than 70,000 irregular crossings into Ceuta from Morocco occurred, causing upheaval. Real Madrid’s gesture is part of a broader series of expressions of support across Spain following the mass crossings.
