Real Madrid apologises to Chinese fans after Mbappé’s Mao comment
The club’s statement follows Kylian Mbappé’s apology and the end of several Chinese brand partnerships. China’s foreign ministry said it took his apology seriously.
Real Madrid apologised to Chinese people on Wednesday, 28 October, over forward Kylian Mbappé’s comment about Mao Zedong, Reuters reported. The club’s statement followed Mbappé’s own apology and the decision by several Chinese brands to end cooperation with him, extending the response from the player and his sponsors to his team.
In its statement, Real Madrid said it wished to apologise for any discomfort caused by Mbappé’s recent words. The club said it maintained deep respect for China, its history, culture and citizens, as well as the millions of Chinese fans who support Real Madrid, according to Reuters.
What Mbappé said about Mao Zedong
Reuters reported that Mbappé was discussing a meme in which his face had been placed over someone else’s image in a video from a French podcast. He described the figure as ‘some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator’. The podcast video had since been taken down. Mao led China from 1949 until his death in 1976, and satire about him remains taboo in the country, Reuters reported.
Mbappé apologised before the club issued its statement. In an apology published in French, Chinese and English, he said: ‘I apologise to everyone my words have upset,’ according to an AFP report carried by the Guardian. The Guardian also reported that La Liga had apologised, saying it deeply regretted the offence his comments had caused among Chinese fans.
Chinese sponsors end cooperation with Mbappé
Chinese companies Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground Food Tech and Eastroc Beverage ended cooperation with Mbappé on Tuesday, 27 October, Reuters reported. The decisions preceded Real Madrid’s apology and show a commercial consequence for the forward beyond the criticism of his words. The Guardian’s AFP report also described Chinese brands dropping him after the video circulated.
Asked on Wednesday about Mbappé’s apology, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said: ‘We take seriously the apology that the person has made,’ Reuters reported. That response concerned the player’s apology; it did not announce a change to the brands’ decisions.
La Liga broadcast status remains unclear
The Guardian reported that the state-run Chinese digital newspaper The Paper had cited sources at broadcaster CCTV as saying it had suspended La Liga broadcasts and removed advertisements featuring Mbappé. The Guardian also found La Liga matches still listed on CCTV’s online schedule for the coming weekend, leaving the extent of any broadcast suspension unclear.
Real Madrid’s apology is the latest statement in a sequence that began with Mbappé’s remark, followed by the sponsor decisions and his own apology. It speaks directly to Chinese supporters of the Spanish club while the practical status of televised league matches remains uncertain.
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Sources and context
- Soccer-Real Madrid apologise to Chinese people after Mbappe's Mao 'dictator' commentReuters, carried by Yahoo Sports
- Kylian Mbappé apologises after being dropped by Chinese brands for Mao Zedong commentThe Guardian (Agence France-Presse credited in article)
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.