Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konaté chose not to display the full “Todos somos caballas” message before Real Madrid’s 3-2 win over Elche on Tuesday, creating a notable contrast with their team-mates and the opposition.
Players from Real Madrid and Elche entered the Martínez Valero wearing white T-shirts carrying the slogan, which translates as “We are all Ceutans” and was intended as a show of solidarity with Ceuta.
Mbappé and Vinicius wore the shirts rolled up to around chest height, leaving the message largely hidden, before removing them ahead of the pre-match handshake. Konaté also did not display the slogan fully, although he kept his shirt on for longer. The rest of the players wore the shirts during the pre-match formalities.
The campaign was organised with the backing of the Valencian Business Association and was supported by several clubs during the latest round of La Liga fixtures. Real Madrid had agreed to participate in the initiative, but the club subsequently defended the players’ freedom to decide whether and how they took part.
Real Madrid said it respected individual choices within the squad while supporting the initiative itself, according to Reuters. The club has not publicly attributed a specific reason to Mbappé, Vinicius or Konaté for their decision, so their personal motivations should not be assumed.
The gesture comes amid the continuing fallout from a major migration crisis in Ceuta in late July, when more than 72,000 people crossed into the Spanish territory from Morocco over 30 and 31 July, according to Spanish government figures.
Real Madrid had previously shown support for Ceuta before their Champions League meeting with Inter Milan, when supporters at the Santiago Bernabéu displayed the autonomous city’s coat of arms.
The episode at Elche came on a dramatic night for Real Madrid on the pitch. Jose Mourinho’s side surrendered a two-goal advantage before Carlos Espí scored a stoppage-time winner to secure a 3-2 victory.
Mbappé was also on the scoresheet, while Vinicius started the match.
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