Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate rolled up their pre-game T-shirts ahead of Real Madrid’s match at Elche on Tuesday to obscure the message of support for the people of Ceuta.<\/p>\n
Ceuta is a Spanish autonomous city on the North African coast, bordering Morocco and separated from mainland Spain by the Strait of Gibraltar.<\/p>\n
Players from both sides walked on to the pitch at Elche’s ground, Martinez Valero, wearing white T-shirts carrying the message “Todos somos caballas” \u2013 translated as “We are all Ceutans” \u2013 along with references to the Spanish autonomous city.<\/p>\n
While most of the players wore the shirts fully, Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate had theirs rolled up to around chest height, obscuring some of the slogan.<\/p>\n
Mbappe and Vinicius then removed their shirts before the pre-match handshake, while Konate kept his on for longer. Their team-mates and the Elche players continued to wear the shirts through the pre-match formalities.<\/p>\n
This is not the first time Real Madrid have shown support for Ceuta. Before their Champions League meeting with Inter Milan at the Santiago Bernabeu on 8 September, supporters in the south stand displayed cards featuring the coat of arms of the autonomous city, while the rest of the stadium joined the tribute with a round of applause.<\/p>\n
The initiative was part of a wider show of support for Ceuta, following a major migration crisis in the Spanish territory after thousands of people entered from Morocco.<\/p>\n