Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappé over the controversy surrounding the forward’s remarks about China, saying both the player and the club responded with class and had done what was required to address the issue. Mourinho said he felt represented by the reactions of Mbappé and Real Madrid, adding that the club
France international Kylian Mbappe's remarks saw him become the latest foreign sports figure to anger Beijing.
On Monday night, as Kylian Mbappé attended the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, he also became the centre of a major controversy on Chinese social media. It is illegal to “insult” or “slander” Communist Party martyrs and war heroes in China A portrait of Mao overlooks Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, a symbol of how central he is in the modern Chinese imagination.
The French superstar's comments about Mao Zedong have drawn the ire of China, a lucrative market for sports teams.
Spanish football giants, Real Madrid apologised to China on Wednesday for star striker Kylian Mbappe’s comments poking fun at Mao Zedong. “Real Madrid C.F. wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any offense caused by the recent remarks of our player Kylian Mbappe,” read the club’s statement, which came 24 hours after the furore broke.
China said Wednesday it took “seriously” an apology from Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe after comments he made poking fun at Mao Zedong sparked a social media storm and saw Spanish football yanked off state TV. An AFP search on Dior and Hublot’s Weibo page with Mbappe’s Chinese name produced no results.
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga have apologised for the superstar striker’s comments about Mao Zedong, but the damage to their reputation in China won’t be easily or quickly repaired, experts say. “It causes serious damage to the image of La Liga and Real Madrid in China.