Real Betis winger Ez Abde became the target of a severe online hate campaign, including death threats and nationalist abuse, after wearing a social solidarity t-shirt supporting the population of Ceuta ahead of a La Liga fixture.
The Fixture and the Pre-Match Gesture
The controversy unfolded in the hours following Real Betis’s away victory against Villarreal at the Estadio de La Cerámica during the sixth matchday of the La Liga season. Manuel Pellegrini’s side secured a 2–1 comeback win thanks to goals from Cucho Hernández and Souza, which erased an early lead established by Villarreal’s Gerard Moreno. However, the result was overshadowed by backlash directed at Abde.
Prior to kickoff, players from both Villarreal and Real Betis participated in a joint initiative designed to highlight the difficult circumstances facing the Spanish autonomous city of Ceuta. The enclave had experienced significant social and economic strain following a mass arrival of migrants in late July. To demonstrate solidarity, the players walked onto the pitch wearing shirts bearing the slogan ‘Todos somos caballas’ (We are all Ceutans).
Online Threats and Nationalist Backlash
Abde, an international who represents the Morocco national team, faced an immediate torrent of abuse on his social media profiles following the match. Comments ranged from accusations of treason to direct threats of violence originating primarily from users in his birth country. One comment warned, «Today you will live with us in terror, tomorrow you will spend the worst hour of your life.»
Other users attacked the player’s national allegiance, calling him a «traitor» and a «coward» while referencing his choice in 2021 to represent Morocco internationally after amaging with lucir la de España. Additional comments posted to his accounts included assertions such as, «Betraying the homeland is not a fleeting stance, but a shame that remains in the memory of history. The homeland is not for sale.»
Player Response and Official Context
Faced with mounting hostility, Abde released an official statement to clarify his involvement in the pre-match protocol and to separate his actions from any political agenda. The winger stated that the shirt was used strictly for social support rather than political posturing or disrespect toward the Moroccan people.
«In no way has the shirt referring to the people of Ceuta been used with a political objective or with contempt toward my people, the Moroccan people,» Abde declared in his statement. He maintained that the gesture aimed to assist a population undergoing a complicated situation regardless of nationality. He added that the message did not constitute an apology or a retreat from his heritage, emphasizing that he would continue to represent his roots with pride.
Born in Beni Mellal, Morocco, and raised in the Alicante town of Elche before entering the Barça youth academy, Abde has earned 37 caps for Morocco. He was part of the squad that won the Africa Cup of Nations, though a medium-grade medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee kept him out of the World Cup held over the summer in United States, Canada and Mexico.
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