Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi has addressed the controversy surrounding Abdessamad Ezzalzouli and the T-shirt he wore before the match between Villarreal and Real Betis, defending the player and describing his decision as an act of “clumsiness.”
“Abde, it was clumsiness. He spoke about it and published a short statement. It was purely clumsiness. No one can take away his love for Morocco, nor his commitment to the national team and to Morocco,” Ouahbi said.
“We have to find the best ways to advise and warn players beforehand. I put myself in his situation. He wanted to play his first match since the World Cup, and then he was given a T-shirt in the dressing room... For me, the matter is closed. We will continue to support them and raise their awareness,” the coach added.
“Politics is getting involved in football, but we do not want to get involved in politics. We are trying not to get into that,” he concluded.
The T-shirt in question carried two inscriptions. The first read “Todos somos caballas,” or “We are all Caballas,” the traditional nickname given to the inhabitants of Ceuta. The second read “Ceuta (y sus caballeros) es de la mar,” which can be translated as “Ceuta (and its knights) belongs to the sea.”
The initiative, promoted by LaLiga, was part of a campaign in support of Ceuta that took on a strong political dimension in Spain against a backdrop of tensions and positions targeting Morocco.
Ezzalzouli, for his part, rejected any intention of displaying a political message. The Atlas Lion, who has 37 international caps, stressed the social and humanitarian nature of the initiative. His explanation, however, did not put an end to the controversy triggered by his gesture in Morocco.
