Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr refused to join in with a show of support for Ceuta after the Spanish enclave was invaded by hordes of illegal migrants.
As Real Madrid took to the pitch ahead of their clash against Elche, both sets of players came out wearing t-shirts reading “todos somos Caballas” – meaning “we are all Ceutans” in English.
However, three Real Madrid players – Mbappe, Vinicius and Ibrahima Konate – refused to properly take part in the supportive gesture.
The trio were spotted only wearing half of their tops, hiding the Spanish phrase from view.
The pair then immediately took off the shirts as they shook hands with their opponents, who kept theirs on.
Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate then refused to join their teammates in taking a squad photo wearing the garment.
Real Madrid went on to win 3-2, with the French striker bagging Los Blancos’ second goal of the night.
Despite the players’ refusal to fully engage with the show of support for Ceutans, fans were iron-clad in their backing for their countrymen from the stands.
During the 36-time La Liga winners’ Champions League fixture against Inter Milan last week, scores of Real Madrid fans were seen waving Ceutan flags in the Bernabeu.
Supporters located in the iconic stadium’s south stand were also heard chanting “Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta is defended” as they watched their team defeat the Italian side 2-1.
Elsewhere in La Liga, Real Betis’ Moroccan winger Ez Abde was forced to delete his Instagram account after he wore the pro-Ceuta shirt during his side’s fixture against Villarreal.
After receiving a wave of threats from accounts from Morocco, the player issued a statement reaffirming his support for the people living in the Spanish enclave in north Africa.
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Ceutans have received significant support from across the country after more than 72,000 people stormed the border from Morocco in July.
Thousands of protesters have spilled onto the streets of cities across Spain amid fury at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s handling of the crisis.
More than 50,000 people attended the demonstration in Madrid, where PP leader Alberto Nunez Feijoo said the country had been “invaded and occupied” by illegal migrants.
During a fiery parliamentary session last week, Mr Sanchez was branded a “traitor” by Vox leader Santiago Abascal.
The Spanish leader’s Government is now preparing to house up to 10,000 migrants in Ceuta after admitting the crisis may last for months.
In an interview with the left-leaning TV show El Intermedio, Mr Sanchez said: “I would not say it was mishandled. What happened is that we could not cope with the influx.
“What we did was absorb those people and then return them to Morocco. The proof is that nine out of ten went back.”
Concerns for the safety of women and girls in Ceuta have been mounting since the invasion, with sexual assaults now occurring on a daily basis.
Spanish prosecutors have recorded 23 sexual assaults in the enclave since the end of July, including nine involving children.
In an explosive interview with GB News earlier this month, President Donald Trump warned Spain will be a “ruined country” amid the migrant crisis.
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