Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior have come under fire after appearing to cover up a solidarity message on shirts worn before Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Elche.
Footage from Tuesday’s game showed Vinicius telling Mbappe how to wear the shirt. The two players, along with teammate Ibrahima Konate, appeared to roll up or adjust the shirts, hiding the message, “Todos somos caballas.”
The shirts were part of a La Liga initiative supporting Ceuta, the Spanish autonomous city at the centre of an ongoing migrant crisis.
Mbappe, Vinicius and Konate later took off the shirts before the pre-match handshake.
The video spread quickly on social media, with some fans accusing the players of disrespecting people in Ceuta.
One user, #elsemiyero, posted, “#TodosSomosCaballas #MbappéViniciusTRAIDORES,” calling the players traitors while showing support for Ceuta.
Another user, #SportyScience, wrote, “I hope the fans boo them for the rest of the season and until the end of their contracts. You are not welcome in Spain.”
Some fans also urged Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to act.
“Florentino Perez should fine the players with a lengthy suspension without pay so that ‘the nonsense would end quickly,’” #WillyTolerdoo posted.
Another user, #Ja_ari97, wrote, “shame that #realmadrid allows this contempt toward our compatriots from Ceuta by these millionaires who live in luxurious gated communities with private security.”
But others defended the players, saying they should be free to choose whether to join political or solidarity gestures.
“Keep politics out of football,” #Gracie_Blue89 wrote, adding, “a round of applause for the players.”
Real Madrid later beat Elche 3-2 after scoring a late winner.
