Moroccan Abdel Samad Zalzouli issued a decisive clarification following the wave of controversy and criticism that accompanied his appearance in a shirt bearing the phrase "Todos Somos Caballas" (We are all Betis) before his team Real Betis' match against Villarreal
The players of Real Betis and Villarreal wore the shirt “We are all Ceuta” before the start of their match on Monday evening at the “La Ceramica” stadium as part of a solidarity initiative with the residents of Ceuta, an initiative that has stirred up widespread sensitivities in the Moroccan sports community, given the political status of the city, which is under Spanish administration while Morocco claims sovereignty over it.
Zalzouli’s participation in the initiative sparked reactions and criticism from some Moroccan circles, especially since the player represents the Moroccan national team.
Zalzouli published an official statement on Tuesday, in which he explained the background of the situation, saying: “I am writing this statement to clarify a situation that occurred yesterday. First, I would like to emphasize that at no point was the shirt related to the people of Ceuta used for political purposes or to offend the Moroccan people. The shirt had a social and humanitarian character to express support for the city’s residents regardless of their nationalities.”
He added: "However, this is not an apology to anyone. Whoever wants to use this to question my love for my country is free to do so, but I will continue to walk with my head held high, and I will continue to represent my roots with pride and sacrifice."
In a related context, Moroccan press reports confirmed that the Royal Moroccan Football Federation rejected Real Betis' request to excuse Zalzouli from joining the "Atlas Lions" camp, insisting on summoning the player to participate in the matches against Gabon and Lesotho scheduled for September 25 and 29, as part of the qualifiers for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
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