HIBAPRESS
Real Madrid players Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, along with Ibrahima Konaté, avoided displaying a shirt carrying a message of support for the city of Ceuta as the team entered the pitch at the Martínez Valero stadium for their match against Elche in the Spanish league.
According to Spanish newspaper "Cadena SER," Mbappé and Vinícius appeared wearing the shirt at chest level, without fully unfolding it to reveal the message written on its front, alongside French defender Ibrahima Konaté.
The shirt bore the phrase "We are all Caballas," accompanied by "Ceuta and its knights in the sea," while the back included the name Ceuta and the Spanish flag.
The source explained that Konaté kept the shirt on during the handshake with Elche players, while Mbappé and Vinícius removed the shirt after the team photo, and before greeting the referees and the opposing team's players.
"Cadena SER" noted that Mbappé and Vinícius were the last Real Madrid players to enter the pitch, and they appeared with the shirt at roughly the same level before removing it simultaneously, as their teammates began shaking hands with the Elche players.
Wearing the shirt is part of an initiative launched by the Valencia businessmen's association, which had previously appeared in matches between Villarreal and Real Betis, as well as Levante and Barcelona, with the note that the Catalan team did not wear the shirt.
The "Cadena SER" report did not include any statement from Mbappé or Vinícius explaining the reason for removing the shirt, nor did it attribute any political nature to the initiative for them.
