Chibout enters the controversy: Ceuta and Melilla are Moroccan, and Ez Abde's patriotism cannot be questioned
A legend of the Lions refuses to mix politics with sport
Youssef Chippo, the former Morocco national team star, has affirmed that the cities of Ceuta and Melilla are Moroccan, at a time when controversy is mounting over the participation of La Liga stars in an initiative to support the people of Ceuta.
Chippo said, via the "beIN Sports" network during his analysis of the match between Barcelona and Racing Santander in La Liga, "Ceuta and Melilla are two Moroccan cities. They are remnants of European occupation, and they will return to Moroccan sovereignty, whether it takes a long or short time."
"It is unacceptable to introduce political issues into sport," he added.
The former Morocco star reckons Barcelona's refusal to wear shirts in support of Ceuta, along with the same stance from Real Madrid trio Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Ibrahima Konaté, marks a failure for the Spanish federation as it tries to promote the city.
Chippo also leapt to the defence of Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, the Real Betis player forced to wear the shirt before his side's match against Villarreal. "Ezzalzouli is a Moroccan player, and no one can question his patriotism or his love for Morocco," he added.
A controversial issue in La Liga
The row carries sensitive political dimensions between Spain and Morocco.
Sitting on the northern coast of the African continent, Ceuta and Melilla fall under Spanish administration. Morocco considers them occupied Moroccan cities and demands their return.
Mbappé, Vinícius and Konaté stirred up major controversy of their own. The Real Madrid trio decided, before the Elche match, to fold the shirts over the message so the logo would not appear, keen to avoid a backlash in Morocco.
The Real Madrid players had received shirts bearing the phrase "Todos somos caballas. Ceuta y los Caballeros de la Mar", prepared by the businessmen's association in Valencia as part of an initiative that took in the matches of Villarreal, Levante, Elche and Valencia.
Their decision came just one day after the storm around the Moroccan Abdessamad Ezzalzouli, the Real Betis player, over his own involvement in the same initiative.
During the match between Villarreal and Real Betis, the Andalusian side's players joined the campaign and took to the pitch wearing shirts in support of Ceuta. Ezzalzouli, the Morocco national team player, was among them.
Moroccans then hit him with widespread criticism and attacks on social media, prompting him to delete his posts about the initiative before he came out to defend his position.
Ezzalzouli explained that the shirt carries "a social character in support of the residents and people of the city", denying that the initiative had political aims or carried any insult to Morocco.
