Konaté breaks his silence over the "Ceuta shirt": what did he say about Negreira, Mourinho and El Clásico?
A packed press conference before the Leipzig match
Ibrahima Konaté has broken his silence. The Real Madrid defender has addressed the controversy sparked by his appearance in a shirt carrying a message of support for the city of Ceuta without displaying its full slogan, an incident that also involved team-mates Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior ahead of September's La Liga clash against Elche.
Speaking at Tuesday's press conference, before the Champions League meeting with Leipzig, the French defender explained he had not understood what was written on the shirt at the time. He only learned the details of the crisis later. Konaté stressed his ability to see both points of view and his desire to focus on football.
The Ceuta shirt: Konaté clarifies his position after the controversy
The incident dates back to 15 September, when Real Madrid and Elche players appeared in a shirt bearing the slogan "Todos somos caballas", which means "We are all people of Ceuta". It was a solidarity initiative with the Spanish city located in North Africa, following a crisis linked to the flow of migrants across the Moroccan border.
Konaté, Mbappé and Vinícius wore the shirt in a way that obscured part of the slogan, which sparked widespread controversy in Spain. The anger grew because Mbappé and Vinícius took the shirt off before completing the traditional greeting between players.
Konaté said: "Honestly, I did not understand well what was written on the shirt. After that, I learned what happened in Ceuta, and I can understand both points of view."
Recalling his family origins, the French defender added: "I am from France, but my parents are from Africa, and I think there are many people living in the same situation. There is a side of the story we can agree with, and another we may not agree with."
He continued: "I understand that people who come and do bad things must be punished, but I did not understand the message at the time. I was focused on the match, and my position was to stay in the middle. I came to Real Madrid to play football, and if people are not happy with my position, that's fine."
Mourinho has an exceptional aura
Konaté turned to his relationship with Portuguese coach José Mourinho, stressing that the team's focus is on winning matches and competing for every title, without getting ahead of themselves over the Champions League or La Liga.
He said: "Mourinho has an exceptional aura that many coaches do not have. When he speaks, everyone listens to him and respects him."
Praise also went to young team-mate Yan Diomande. Konaté said the 19-year-old possesses great talent and works hard every day, expressing his happiness with the levels he has shown recently.
The defender pointed out that he was lucky to have a number of French players in the dressing room. Mbappé and Tchouaméni spoke to him a lot about Real Madrid before he joined, and he confirmed his happiness at playing alongside them. He also wished Ferland Mendy a quick return given the team's need for him.
Before the Clásico
Konaté refused to be preoccupied with the upcoming Clásico against Barcelona, despite knowing its importance, stressing the need to focus first on Leipzig.
He said: "If we win tomorrow, that will help us before the Clásico. But if we focus on the Clásico, we will not arrive at it in good shape. The priority is tomorrow's match, because we want to win the Champions League."
The Leipzig match holds special significance for the French defender. He previously played for the German club between 2017 and 2021, before moving to Liverpool, then joining Real Madrid in the summer of 2026.
Konaté is looking forward to seeing his former team-mates. A win, he reckons, would give Real Madrid a good chance of finishing the league phase within the top eight, the positions that guarantee direct qualification to the round of 16.
Konaté complains about refereeing decisions
On another subject, the French defender pointed out that Real Madrid have not been fortunate with some refereeing decisions since the start of the season. He confirmed he had read about the Negreira case, but stressed that his task is to play football and get results.
He said: "We have not been lucky with the refereeing decisions," before explaining that he does not want to divert his focus away from the competition on the pitch.
His first experience with Real Madrid, he said, has exceeded his expectations. Konaté faced no difficulties in adapting, and everyone inside the club helped him settle. Winning titles, he stressed, remains the most important goal given the high level of competition.
