September 16, 2026 — Javier Tebas addresses the pre-match shirt controversy in Elche, Vinicius responds to chants from the stands, and Real Madrid are reportedly working on a deal for Manchester United prospect JJ Gabriel.
Tebas criticizes Mbappé, Vinicius and Konaté over Ceuta shirts
LaLiga president Javier Tebas has criticized Kylian Mbappé, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konaté over the manner in which they wore shirts showing support for Ceuta before Real Madrid’s 3–2 victory over Elche on Tuesday.
Players from both teams walked onto the pitch at the Martínez
Valero wearing white shirts bearing the message “Todos somos caballas”. Mbappé, Vinicius and Konaté wore theirs rolled up, leaving the message partially obscured, with Mbappé and Vinicius removing the shirts before the conclusion of the pre-match greetings.
Speaking Wednesday at an event organized by the Association of Managers and Executives of Aragon in Huesca, Tebas gave his assessment of the incident.
“I think it’s very wrong,” Tebas said.
The LaLiga president argued that Madrid’s participation should be viewed as an institutional decision by the club rather than an individual expression by its players.
“Real Madrid is a Spanish entity,” Tebas said, describing the initiative as “an institutional act, a club act” rather than “a personal act where one has to give an opinion.”
According to Tebas, initiatives promoted by sporting organizations and authorized by LaLiga should not depend on individual players’ opinions when, in his view, they do not concern ideological matters.
“The entire squad coming out wearing the shirt is a club tradition. The player has to come out wearing the shirt. Because coming out with the shirt folded is like coming out without it,” Tebas said.
Tebas also referred to Real Betis winger Ez Abde, who wore the same Ceuta shirt before Betis’ game against Villarreal and subsequently received threats and insults. Tebas described that reaction as “collateral damage.”
Vinicius responds to chants from Elche supporters
Vinicius Junior exchanged words with a section of the Martínez Valero crowd during Real Madrid’s 3–2 win over Elche on Tuesday.
Movistar Plus cameras captured the Brazilian responding after supporters chanted “Vinicius beach ball,” a reference to the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
“More, more, more… Watch out…” Vinicius responded while gesturing towards the crowd.
After the match, Vinicius also addressed his current scoring drought on Instagram.
“The goals will come back… I can’t miss so many. There’s more on Sunday. Hala Madrid!”
Anselmi: “I feel proud”
Elche coach Martín Anselmi emphasized pride rather than frustration after watching his team recover from 2–0 down against Real Madrid before eventually losing 3–2 to Carlos Espí’s stoppage-time winner.
“Anger isn’t the feeling I have right now after the match,” Anselmi said. “I feel proud because we were present in the game against a very strong opponent.”
Elche trailed 2–0 before goals from Abiel Osorio and Fer Niño brought the hosts level late in the second half. Anselmi felt the next stage in his team’s development is learning how to manage the situation after producing such a comeback.
“We lacked cohesion and didn’t fully grasp what we had achieved with the 2–2 draw. I’ll focus on the word maturity, which is what I conveyed to my players in the locker room.”
Despite ultimately leaving without a point, Anselmi highlighted how uncomfortable Elche managed to make the closing stages for Madrid.
“Elche knows how to compete, and I’m proud because the players managed to come back from a very difficult situation. Furthermore, a team like Real Madrid ended the match camped in the corner and holding onto the ball in the final minutes.”
Diomande’s Madridista gesture after another impressive start
Yan Diomande continued his encouraging start to life at Real Madrid with one of his strongest performances yet against Elche.
The 19-year-old made his second consecutive start and supplied the assist for Kylian Mbappé’s first-half goal, beating his defender on the right before finding the Frenchman. He was heavily involved throughout the evening, completing seven dribbles and creating three chances.
There was also a moment after his substitution that did not appear on the television broadcast.
As Diomande made his way off, he produced a small gesture towards the Real Madrid badge — another sign of the enthusiasm with which the summer signing has embraced his new club.
His performance also comes days after Mourinho explained that the winger’s limited minutes so far have been a consequence of Madrid’s depth rather than anything Diomande is lacking.
“He’s not missing anything,” Mourinho said before the Elche game. “If he were in another team with fewer high-potential players instead of being at Madrid with this squad, he would probably be a starter playing 90 minutes every game.”
Arbeloa praises César Palacios after goal and assist for Fulham
Former Real Madrid academy midfielder César Palacios produced one of his best performances since leaving the club this summer, scoring and assisting in Fulham’s 3–2 Carabao Cup victory away to West Ham.
Fulham manager Álvaro Arbeloa praised Palacios afterwards while also stressing the need for patience with the club’s younger players.
“César played a very good game. Good assist, good goal. He could even have scored one or two more,” Arbeloa said.
“We have so many talented young players and we have to be patient with them. We have to help them and develop, but you can already see the talent they have. They have quality, they understand the game, and of course, I think they will grow throughout this season. I’m very happy with all of them.”
Courtois discusses life after football and athlete investment
Thibaut Courtois appeared at the tenth edition of the World Football Summit in Madrid this week to present NXTPLAY Capital, the investment platform he co-founded.
Courtois spoke about preparing for life after football while still maintaining the competitive mentality that has defined his playing career.
“When you’re playing, you obviously think about winning and winning as many trophies as possible, but you also think about life after football,” Courtois said.
“Regarding investments, obviously, it’s one thing to have your name as a goalkeeper, as a good one, but it’s another thing to use that name for investments, to find opportunities and help other brands grow together with your name.”
NXTPLAY was created as a sports investment and media platform designed to allow athletes and other investors to take equity positions across sports, media and technology projects. Courtois is listed as a co-founder alongside Gonzalo Vila.
Courtois also discussed how his competitive instincts transfer into business.
“As an athlete, as a professional footballer, my goal is always to win, and obviously it’s easy to say that in investments you also want to win, but it doesn’t always happen. You find some that are better than others, some that work less well, but I think the ambition to make projects work is the main objective for me.”
The Madrid goalkeeper also stressed the importance of understanding genuine audience engagement rather than simply relying on headline social-media follower numbers.
“It’s really important that the follower numbers are accurate, that the number of followers you have, the people who follow you… you don’t know exactly how many are interacting with what you do and what you say, so that’s why it’s also important to know how many are active to understand what you’re doing.”
Real Madrid reportedly working on deal for Manchester United prodigy JJ Gabriel
Real Madrid are among the clubs pursuing one of England’s most highly rated young players: Manchester United academy forward JJ Gabriel.
Gabriel, whose full name is Joseph Junior Andreou O’Cearuill, is only 15 but has already established himself as one of the most discussed prospects in English academy football.
Reports this week indicated that Gabriel has asked to leave Manchester United amid uncertainty over his future at Old Trafford. ESPN reported Wednesday that both Real Madrid and Barcelona are monitoring the situation, while The Athletic has reported that Madrid are working on a potential deal and are optimistic about their chances.
Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and several Premier League clubs have also been linked with the player.
Gabriel operates primarily as a left winger or attacking midfielder and has moved through several major English academies during his development, including Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham and Queens Park Rangers before joining Manchester United.
His numbers help explain the level of interest.
Gabriel scored 28 goals and provided six assists in 35 appearances during the 2025–26 season and was named the Premier League Under-18 Player of the Season despite playing much of the campaign at just 15.
Earlier in his development, he became Manchester United’s youngest-ever Under-18 debutant and goalscorer after scoring twice against Leeds United at 14.
His rise has continued this season. Gabriel scored a hat-trick against Sabah in his UEFA Youth League debut on September 10, becoming the competition’s youngest-ever goalscorer at 15 years and 339 days old.
Manchester United remain hopeful of keeping him, and the situation has not yet reached a definitive resolution. ESPN reports that club officials are continuing discussions over his future while Madrid and Barcelona monitor developments.
The situation is particularly relevant to Madrid because Gabriel holds an Irish passport. He turns 16 on October 6, potentially opening a pathway for a move outside England under the applicable regulations.
For Real Madrid, the reported pursuit would fit a familiar recruitment strategy: identifying elite prospects early and attempting to bring them into the club before their value — and competition for their signature — increases significantly.
