Mbappé explains Ceuta shirt gesture after Tebas criticism

Kylian Mbappé has offered an explanation for why he, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté partially covered a shirt supporting the people of Ceuta before Real Madrid’s match against Elche on Tuesday.

The players rolled up the shirts, obscuring the message “We are all Ceutans”, before removing them ahead of kick-off. The gesture prompted criticism from La Liga president Javier Tebas.

Mbappé says gesture was about solidarity

Mbappé said the decision was not meant to reject Ceuta or its residents. He explained that the players wanted to show solidarity with migrants who had lost their lives and with people living in difficult conditions.

The forward also said he did not want to place one form of suffering above another while supporting the people of Ceuta. His explanation came after the players’ handling of the shirts became a subject of public debate.

Tebas criticised the gesture, arguing that partially wearing the shirt was effectively the same as not wearing it. His comments added to the dispute surrounding the message before the match.

Real Madrid backs players’ expression

Real Madrid defended the players’ freedom of expression while also supporting the solidarity initiative connected to the shirts.

The episode took place against the backdrop of migration to Ceuta. More than 70,000 migrants entered the Spanish territory from Morocco in late July, while thousands remained there, according to the background information surrounding the episode.

The controversy centred on the players’ decision to cover part of the message before removing the shirts, and on the different interpretations of what that action represented. Mbappé’s explanation presented it as an expression of concern for migrants and others facing hardship rather than a rejection of Ceuta.