Miguel Ángel Ramírez, president of Spanish second-division club UD Las Palmas, sparked controversy with remarks on the club's radio station, UD Radio, ahead of a match against AD Ceuta. According to reports from Cadena SER, Ramírez said, "We will never be Moroccan," asserting that the people of the Canary Islands are Spanish.
The comments come amid ongoing tensions between Spain and Morocco over the sovereignty of the Canary Islands and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla. The match, scheduled for the 2026-27 season, was seen as a potential flashpoint due to the political symbolism.
Ramírez's statement was widely criticized in Morocco, where officials and media accused him of stoking division. However, within Spain, some political figures defended his right to express his views, while others called for restraint.
The Spanish football federation has not yet commented on the incident. The match between Las Palmas and AD Ceuta is expected to proceed as planned, with heightened security measures.
