Morocco’s Abde stands by Ceuta support gesture despite social media backlash
Soccer Football – Copa del Rey – Semi Final – Second Leg – Athletic Bilbao v Osasuna – San Mames, Bilbao, Spain – April 4, 2023 Osasuna’s Ez Abde in action REUTERS/Vincent West
Read a summary of this article on FAST.
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
Sept 15 : Morocco international Ez Abde said on Tuesday he would not apologise for wearing a shirt supporting residents of the Spanish enclave of Ceuta, after receiving criticism on social media following Real Betis’ LaLiga match against Villarreal.
The 24-year-old winger was targeted by a wave of negative comments after wearing the shirt before Monday’s game at Villarreal.
In recent weeks, there has been widespread support in Spain for the people of Ceuta following more than 70,000 irregular crossings into the North African enclave from neighbouring Morocco in July.
Before kickoff at Estadio de la Ceramica, players from both teams wore shirts bearing the slogan “Todos somos caballas” (“We are all mackerels”). Caballas is a nickname for people from Ceuta.
Guess Word
Crack the word, one row at a time
Buzzword
Create words using the given letters
Mini Sudoku
Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser
Mini Crossword
Small grid, big challenge
Word Search
Spot as many words as you can
“At no point was the shirt referring to the people of Ceuta used with a political purpose or as a sign of disrespect toward my people, the Moroccan people,” Abde wrote in a statement posted on social media.
“It was a shirt with a social purpose, intended to support a community.
“That said, this is not an apology to anyone, and anyone who wishes to use this to question my love for my country is free to do so. I will continue to live each day with my head held high.”
LaLiga and Real Betis both posted messages of support for Abde after his statement.
Born in Beni Mellal, Morocco, Abde moved to Spain with his family at the age of seven. Eligible to represent both countries, he chose Morocco and made his senior international debut in September 2022. He has since won 37 caps for the national team.
Source: Reuters
Sign up for our newsletters
Get the CNA app
Stay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best stories
Get WhatsApp alerts
Join our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat app
Get bite-sized news via a new
cards interface. Give it a try.
Click here to return to FAST
Tap here to return to FAST
FAST
