Real Madrid issued an official apology on Wednesday following a wave of criticism sparked by comments from French striker Kylian Mbappe, who described the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a “dictator.”
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After apologies from Mbappe and La Liga failed to calm the backlash in China, league president Javier Tebas established a special committee to follow up on the crisis and met with Chinese Ambassador Yao Jing.
The criticism has highlighted the risks athletes and brands may face in China’s lucrative market, where mockery of Mao Zedong, the founder of modern China who led the country from 1949 until his death in 1976, remains a social taboo.
In a statement, Real Madrid said: “Real Madrid would like to apologize to the Chinese people for any offence caused by our player Kylian Mbappe’s recent remarks.”
The statement added: “Our club has deep respect for China, its history, culture and people, and values the millions of fans in China who share their love and admiration for Real Madrid.”
China’s state-owned Migu platform will not broadcast Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Racing Santander on Sunday. Several Chinese brands, including dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, as well as energy drink company Eastroc, have also ended all forms of cooperation with Mbappe.
Real Madrid disappears from broadcast screens
Migu plans to broadcast nine of the 10 La Liga matches scheduled for this week, with Real Madrid’s game the only one excluded. The platform did not immediately comment on the decision.
In an effort to contain the fallout, La Liga moved quickly to establish a special committee to follow the case and opened direct channels of communication with Real Madrid. The move was notable given the years of tension and disagreements between the club and league president Tebas. Real Madrid had recently called for Tebas to resign over disputes concerning the management of Spanish football.
This time, however, the two sides chose to prioritize their shared interests over their differences, recognizing the potential economic consequences of Mbappe’s remarks. According to league officials, Tebas is considering travelling to China in an effort to contain the crisis and prevent financial losses for La Liga and its clubs.
The league is also considering expanding its institutional cooperation with Beijing amid concerns about a significant decline in revenue. Meanwhile, Chinese state television is awaiting further signs of de-escalation and reconciliation before restoring relations to normal.
In a video from a French podcast that was later deleted, Mbappe was heard saying that the funniest image he had seen of himself was a meme in which his face had been edited using Photoshop to appear on the face of “someone, I think a Chinese dictator.”
Memes showing Mbappe’s face superimposed on images of political and military leaders circulated online, reflecting what some see as the player’s considerable influence over decisions made by the clubs he represents.
Some European media outlets have also dubbed him “the dictator.”
Asked on Wednesday about Beijing’s position on Mbappe’s apology, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: “We take the apology he issued seriously.”
