Doha – Members of the Casablanca Real Madrid fan club made a notable appearance at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium on Saturday, showcasing a full map of Morocco that includes the Western Sahara region.
The fan club, officially recognized by both Real Madrid and Moroccan authorities, was in Madrid for a weekend visit during which they presented an award to the club featuring the comprehensive national map.
Established a decade ago and boasting 175 members, the Casablanca-based group aims to promote Real Madrid’s image and values through social activities and community building among Moroccan fans.
Their presence at the Bernabéu coincided with Real Madrid’s victory over Villarreal in the team’s ninth La Liga game this season.
Images shared on social media platforms show the fan club members inside Real Madrid’s famous stadium as they proudly displayed the Moroccan flag while wearing vests featuring the map that represents Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Spanish media outlet El Independiente, known historically for its anti-Moroccan propaganda, reported on the incident, describing the map as “illegal” and stating that it “violates international law.”
Read also: Brazil Adopts Complete Map of Morocco During G20 Presidency
The publication quoted a social media commenter as expressing concern over what they presented as an outrageous incident.
“That Real Madrid has allowed a fan club to enter the Bernabéu with this provocation is undoubtedly attributable to the fact that they were not informed,” the outlet quoted the comment as saying. “Ceuta and Melilla are and will always be Spanish. And the population of Western Sahara must be respected.”
The news comes as Spain, which has recognized Morocco’s sovereignty over Western Sahara since April 2022 under the 2007 proposed Autonomy Plan, has repeatedly reiterated its support for Moroccan territorial integrity in recent weeks.
Just this past Friday, Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares renewed his country’s “unchanged” commitment to what he described as a strategic and essential friendship with Morocco.
Speaking in the immediate aftermath of the European Court of Justice ruling against the continuation of EU-Morocco agreements, Albares vowed: “Our position remains that of April 7. The Spanish-Moroccan declaration is known, and more and more European countries and others around the world are supporting it.”
Spain’s stance aligns with a growing list of nations that view Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the only serious and credible solution to the Sahara dispute, including the United States, France, and recently Denmark, which became the 18th European country to embrace Morocco’s autonomy initiative.
