Real Madrid has apologised to the Chinese people after Kylian Mbappe sparked a backlash by referring to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a “dictator”.
The apology came after statements from Mbappe and La Liga failed to ease the response in China, where satire directed at Mao remains a social taboo. Mao ruled the country from 1949 until his death in 1976.
“Real Madrid CF wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any discomfort caused by the recent words of our player Kylian Mbappe,” the club said.
It added: “Our club maintains a deep respect for China, its history, its culture and its citizens, as well as for the millions of Chinese fans who feel affection and admiration for Real Madrid.”
Real Madrid game removed from Chinese television
China’s state-owned broadcasting platform Migu will not show Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Racing Santander on Sunday. It is scheduled to broadcast nine of the weekend’s 10 fixtures, with the Madrid match the only one omitted.
Chinese companies including Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground Food Tech and Eastroc Beverage have also ended their co-operation with Mbappe.
The controversy has prompted La Liga president Javier Tebas to establish a crisis unit and meet Chinese ambassador Yao Jing. La Liga and Real Madrid have put aside a long-running dispute, with both sides recognising the possible immediate and longer-term financial consequences of the comments.
Real Madrid recently called for Tebas to resign, but La Liga is now considering stronger institutional engagement with Beijing. Tebas was also considering travelling to China in an effort to limit the threat of a major financial loss for Spanish football.
The remarks were made in a video for a French podcast that has since been removed. Mbappe was discussing a meme in which his face had been superimposed on an image of a political and military leader, whom he described as “some guy – I think he’s a Chinese dictator”.
Mbappe has been nicknamed “the dictator” in the European press, amid memes suggesting that he can influence decisions at the teams for which he plays.
Asked about Mbappe’s apology, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: “We take seriously the apology that the person has made.”
