Three Real Madrid stars have drawn sharp public criticism after only partially pulling on a shirt made in support of Ceuta, leaving its message of solidarity hidden from view. Ahead of the fixture against Elche, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté did not wear the special shirt, a club-led initiative, as intended. With the reaction building, the France striker broke his silence to insist that the gesture was in no way a rejection of the people of Ceuta, the Spanish enclave on the North African coast.
Speaking to the Spanish daily AS, Mbappé stressed that he had also wanted to honour the memory of the migrants who lost their lives. "The first thing I want to say is that I stand in full solidarity with Ceuta and with all the victims, because for as long as I am a footballer, first and foremost I am a human being," the forward explained. Difficult though the position was, he added, he supports those affected one hundred per cent, his thoughts with the residents of Ceuta and with the migrants living in desperate conditions.
