Villarreal and Betis enter Monday with shirts backing Ceuta

Villarreal and Real Betis have officially confirmed, in agreement with each other, that players from both sides will enter the pitch wearing a shirt in support of Ceuta, as reported by L'Équipe.

The gesture will take place as the teams come out for Villarreal–Betis, a LaLiga matchday five fixture played this Monday. Villarreal’s statement says kickoff is at 9:00 pm and that both squads will wear shirts with the message “Nous sommes tous des Caballas”—the popular nickname for the people of the Spanish enclave.

Solidarity gesture

The club frames the action as a show of solidarity with the autonomous city and all its residents, citing the particularly complex situation the city has faced in recent weeks due to the migration crisis. The initiative lands amid a heavy atmosphere in Ceuta as tensions continue to rise.

Alongside the sporting context, the political and diplomatic backdrop has also worsened. As L'Équipe notes, the Spanish government said that several thousand migrants who remained in Ceuta after the events of July have returned to Morocco. With tensions mounting on the ground, both countries have been trading blame in the midst of a broader diplomatic dispute.

Message before kick-off

So, beyond football, Monday’s match will feature a visible show of support for Ceuta at the moment the teams take the field, with both clubs sharing the same message on their shirts.