Abde Ezzalzouli Wears Ceuta Support Shirt at Real Betis’ Insistence

Rabat – Moroccan international Abde Ezzalzouli wore a shirt expressing support for Ceuta before Real Betis’ LaLiga match against Villarreal on Monday, placing the Atlas Lion at the center of a politically sensitive issue between Morocco and Spain.

Ezzalzouli, who returned to Manuel Pellegrini’s starting lineup after recovering from a knee problem, joined his Betis teammates wearing a special shirt bearing the Spanish slogan “Todos somos Caballas,” which translates roughly as “We are all from Ceuta.”

“Caballas” is a commonly used name for residents of Ceuta.

Reports ahead of the match said Villarreal and Betis players would participate in the gesture as part of a collective message of solidarity with the city and its residents. Ezzalzouli subsequently appeared in the shirt with his teammates before kickoff.

The slogan forms part of a broader campaign of support for Ceuta following the mass arrival of migrants from Morocco at the end of July. The Association of Valencian Entrepreneurs, which has promoted the “Todos somos Caballas” campaign, described the initiative as a message of solidarity and support for residents while also referring to Spain’s “territorial and social cohesion.”

Several Spanish football clubs have used the same slogan in recent days. Levante players, for example, wore shirts carrying the message before their LaLiga match against Barcelona on Sunday.

There has been no public statement from Ezzalzouli indicating that the shirt reflected a personal political position, and his appearance came as part of the collective pre-match activity involving his club.

Fellow Moroccan international Ilias Akhomach was named among Villarreal’s substitutes and therefore did not appear alongside the starting players in the same pre-match gesture.