Morocco international Abde Ezzalzouli has broken his silence a day after the controversy over a T-shirt worn before Villarreal-Betis that carried messages referring to Ceuta.
Before the start of the La Liga matchday 5 fixture between Real Betis and Villarreal, players from both teams wore a T-shirt carrying two inscriptions. The first read “Todos somos caballas,” or “We are all Caballas,” the traditional nickname for Ceuta’s inhabitants. The second read “Ceuta (y sus caballeros) es de la mar,” which can be translated as “Ceuta (and its knights) belongs to the sea.”
Ezzalzouli was among the Betis players who wore the T-shirt, whose messages carried clear political overtones. The inscriptions were presented as an expression of support for Ceuta’s Spanish identity and echoed the narrative promoted by the local governor and a large part of Spain’s political class, against the backdrop of a campaign targeting Morocco.
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The gesture sparked incomprehension and strong indignation among many Moroccan supporters. In the wake of the controversy, the Betis winger addressed the issue publicly.
On Tuesday, September 15, the 24-year-old forward posted a message on Instagram in an attempt to clarify his position.
“First of all, I want to make things clear: at no point was the shirt referring to the people of Ceuta used for political purposes or out of disrespect towards my people, the Moroccan people. It was a social message, in support of a population and its inhabitants, regardless of their nationality, who were going through a difficult situation. That said, this is not an apology to anyone. Anyone who wants to use this to question my love for my country is free to do so. I will continue to live every day with my head held high and represent my roots with pride and sacrifice,” the player wrote in an Instagram story.
Born in Beni Mellal and having moved to Elche at the age of seven, Ezzalzouli offers no apology for a gesture that may have deeply upset part of the Moroccan public.
While rejecting any political intent and reaffirming his attachment to Morocco, his statement confirms that he knowingly wore the T-shirt, while maintaining that he viewed it as a purely social message.
The player had previously deleted all of his social media posts after his accounts were flooded with comments and reactions from Monday evening onward.
