Ceuta needs help. The Spanish city, located in North Africa and bordering Morocco, has faced an emergency since tens of thousands of migrants arrived in late July. Reception difficulties, pressure on public services and the conditions in which many of those people remain have intensified political confrontation in Spain. In an already polarised society, even a T-shirt worn the other day by Real Madrid players has ended up being interpreted as a declaration of allegiance.
The “Todos somos caballas” initiative — referring to the nickname for Ceuta’s residents — was launched by the Valencian Business Association to show support for the city. Elche proposed taking it onto the pitch, and Real Madrid agreed (in an earlier match, Levante–FC Barcelona, the Catalan side chose not to wear the T-shirt, and its decision was respected). Before the match, the T-shirts were handed out in the tunnel. Mbappé, Vinicius and Konaté read the message with apparent puzzlement, put them on only partially, without displaying the full wording, and were among the first to take them off. From that point on, interpretations of their intentions began.
Mbappé’s explanation
Mbappé subsequently explained his decision. “I stand in full solidarity with Ceuta and all the victims,” he told AS. He added that he also wanted to remember the migrants who had died and those facing difficult circumstances. His explanation calls for the accusation that he was showing contempt for Ceuta’s residents to be corrected: he wanted to express solidarity with both those affected, Ceuta and the migrants. An empathetic gesture that, far from seeking confrontation, seems intended to bring people together through shared feelings and common ground. Even if people looking on see things only in black and white.
Real Madrid’s responsibility
Nevertheless, before scrutinising their expressions, it would be worth knowing how the initiative was prepared, what information the players received, how far in advance and whether they had an opportunity to raise questions. Handing out a T-shirt in the tunnel just before players head out for a match, fully focused on the game, does not prove there had been no prior conversation, but the scene invites a review of whether it was sufficient. In an international squad, with different experiences and sensitivities, understanding a campaign cannot be taken for granted simply because its organisers consider its meaning obvious.
David Aganzo, president of the Spanish Footballers’ Association, pointed to precisely that possible failing: “I think they were poorly informed and that the players did not have all the information.” The president raises a responsibility that has received little attention amid so much criticism: anyone asking a footballer to publicly represent a cause should explain it beforehand and listen to their response. An initiative’s good intentions are no substitute for that conversation.
Criticised for wearing it and for taking it off
The way the three players acted can be considered ill-judged. It is also reasonable to argue that supporting Ceuta is entirely compatible with showing solidarity with migrants. But criticism that turns that gesture into evidence of contempt is disproportionate: it disregards what those involved understood, did not know or wanted to express. If there were doubts, they should have been clarified; if there was a different opinion, it should have been heard. Solidarity loses its meaning when it is demanded as automatic obedience in front of the cameras.
Abde experienced the other side of the same argument. The Moroccan Betis footballer received insults and threats from people in his home country for wearing the T-shirt, and had to explain that his gesture had no political intent. Some were criticised for not displaying it; another, for doing so. That contrast reveals a conversation in which any decision serves to confirm a prejudice, and people are reduced to the meaning others choose to give their actions.
The media and social networks have spent hours interpreting a few seconds of footage. How readily people pass judgement before asking questions. An initiative intended to bring us closer to Ceuta has ended up fuelling another argument that pushes its residents, and those suffering there, into the background.
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