Football furore as Spanish press labels Ceuta a ‘Moroccan team’

A SPANISH sports newspaper has sparked outrage after describing Ceuta’s football team as ‘of Moroccan origin’ following their historic promotion to Spain’s second tier.

The controversy began after El Mundo Deportivo The headline of the article was: “El Ceuta becomes the third Moroccan team to play professional soccer.” 

Even though the headline changed later, the damage had already been done.

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The Royal Football Federation of Ceuta has responded strongly, calling the description both inaccurate and insulting. 

“Ceuta” is Spain. Our city is as Spanish as Barbate, La Rioja, Asturias or Madrid – and so are our clubs, our athletes and our institutions,” the statement read.

The Federation demanded ‘an immediate correction of the aforementioned headline, in line with the basic principles of journalistic rigour and institutional respect,’ adding: “Ceuta is football. Ceuta, is Spain.”

Social media has been flooded with people who are upset about the careless misrepresentation they feel was made of Ceuta at a time when local pride is high.

Among the public reactions online, one user wrote: “I’ve always considered Ceuta and Melilla part of Andalucia, and therefore part of Spain – Ceuta is more Spanish than that stupid Catalan newspaper and the city where it’s published.”

Another Described El Mundo Deportivo bluntly as ‘journalistic and political garbage.’

The Federation stated that it was “especially painful” for a national sports outlet to use an offensive and imprecise description. This hurts the feelings and emotions of a whole community who work daily to represent our country with dignity and respect.