AD Ceuta and Las Palmas stage pitch protest over border crisis
AD Ceuta FC and UD Las Palmas players wore protest shirts and held a 30-second match standstill at Alfonso Murube stadium following the July border influx.
Pitch demonstration at Alfonso Murube
AD Ceuta FC and UD Las Palmas carried out a joint protest on Saturday ahead of their second-tier league match at the Alfonso Murube stadium. Players from both squads walked onto the pitch wearing shirts printed with the phrase "Ceuta no se vende. Ceuta se defiende", which translates as Ceuta is not for sale, Ceuta defends itself. Once the match kicked off, the home players refused to contest the opening 30 seconds of play, remaining embraced in a group huddle inside the center circle. UD Las Palmas players stood waiting in their own half of the pitch until the half-minute mark passed. In the grandstands, local supporters echoed the slogan on banners, waved Spanish flags across the seating sections, and sang along as the national anthem played prior to kickoff.
Travel arrangements and club coordination
The home club, known locally as the caballa squad, requested official permission from LaLiga before staging the demonstration with the printed t-shirts. Initial reports suggested that UD Las Palmas might abstain from the on-pitch action, but the Canary Islands club ultimately joined the demonstration. Canary Islands newspaper Canarias7 reported that Las Palmas players made the decision days in advance but kept their plans undisclosed during transit. The squad flew from Las Palmas to the airport in Tetouan, Morocco, and traveled across the border to reach Ceuta. Team officials maintained discretion throughout the journey to avoid potential travel delays or administrative obstacles at the Moroccan transit hub.
- More than 70,000 migrants cross into Ceuta from Morocco around the Tarajal breakwater.
- AD Ceuta FC manager José Juan Romero criticizes the national response in a pre-match press conference.
- Ceuta and Las Palmas stage a protest with slogan shirts and a 30-second match standstill.
Team manager reaction
The demonstration followed public statements from AD Ceuta FC head coach José Juan Romero during a press conference on Friday. Romero spoke through tears about the psychological impact of the border crisis on the local community and his locker room. The coach stated that his squad had witnessed the arrival of migrants firsthand while preparing for the 2026-27 season.
It is humanity, and I am realizing that unfortunately there is very little. I am very disappointed with my country and with everything.
Romero added that the sporting group felt neglected during weeks of heightened tension across the autonomous city.
Institutional backing from LaLiga
Hours before Saturday's kickoff, LaLiga president Javier Tebas published statements of support for the city on his personal X account. Tebas addressed the events of 30 July, when more than 70,000 migrants crossed irregularly into Ceuta from Morocco by swimming around the Tarajal breakwater. Despite the humanitarian emergency, the club has continued competing in LaLiga Hypermotion following a 5-1 away defeat against FC Andorra the prior weekend.
Today, from the Alfonso Murube, football also serves to remember something very simple: Ceuta is Spain. Ceuta is ours. Ceuta is not for sale. Ceuta defends itself. And from LaLiga we will defend Ceuta, within our competencies and with all the means at our disposal.
Tebas emphasized that the league intends to maintain full institutional backing for the club, its supporters, and the residents of Ceuta throughout the season.
