Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez will travel to Ceuta this Friday in an institutional visit designed to mend relations following a widespread controversy over a pre-match solidarity campaign, according to multiple reports. Pérez will be accompanied in the autonomous city by club director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueño and honorary club president José Martínez Pirri, who was born in Ceuta.
The Martínez Valero Controversy and the ‘Todos Somos Caballas’ Campaign
The upcoming trip comes just three days after an incident prior to Real Madrid’s fixture against Elche at the Martínez Valero stadium. Before kickoff, players from both teams took the field wearing shirts bearing the slogan “Todos somos caballas”, a phrase intended to show solidarity with the city. The initiative was originally promoted by the Valencian Business Association and adopted widely across professional football.
However, the gesture drew immediate public scrutiny when Real Madrid players Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius, and Ibrahima Konaté appeared with the campaign message altered. According to matchday observations, Vinícius and Mbappé rolled or folded their shirts to obscure the printed slogan, while Konaté chose to hold his jersey in his hands rather than wear it. All three quickly discarded the garments after the initial team photo.
Mbappé Addresses the Public Debate
The actions of the trio sparked immediate debate and criticism across Spanish media and social platforms, particularly among local supporters. In response to the backlash, French forward Kylian Mbappé spoke to the press to clarify his motivations, explaining to the newspaper AS that his decision did not stem from any lack of solidarity with Ceuta.
«Tengo toda la solidaridad con Ceuta y con todas las víctimas. Porque antes de ser jugador, soy humano,» Mbappé stated, emphasizing that he also wished to highlight the plight of migrants who have lost their lives or faced severe hardships. The forward maintained that his refusal to fully display the slogan was an attempt to avoid prioritizing one form of human suffering over another.
Following the debate, the club issued a stance supporting the underlying solidarity message while simultaneously defending the individual freedom of its players to decide how they participate in such gestures.
Pirri’s Return and Institutional Meetings
To reinforce its ties with the region, Real Madrid’s delegation will meet with Juan Jesús Vivas, the president of the Autonomous City. The meeting aims to publicly reaffirm the club’s historic closeness to the local community.
The presence of José Martínez Pirri adds significant symbolic weight to the journey. Born in Ceuta in 1945, he made over 500 official appearances for the club and won numerous major trophies, including the club’s sixth European Cup, anchoring a deep personal and athletic connection between the city and the institution.
What Comes Next
Real Madrid’s leadership is scheduled to complete the Ceuta itinerary on Friday before turning competitive focus back toward their domestic campaign. Fans and observers await official club statements regarding the outcomes of the presidential meetings.
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