Mbappe apologizes to China: “My words were thoughtless”

Real Madrid’s French star Kylian Mbappe apologized after drawing backlash in China for saying in an interview that the “meme” he laughed at most was an image replacing a Chinese dictator’s face with his own. LaLiga President Javier Tebas also apologized to the Chinese people.

Real Madrid’s French star Kylian Mbappe apologized for remarks that drew widespread backlash in China. Asked before an interview which “meme” made him laugh the most, Mbappe replied, “They put my face in place of a Chinese dictator’s. I keep sending it to my friends.”

Footage said to have been recorded in April spread rapidly on social media after it was shared by the French podcast The Bridge. Although Mbappe did not mention his name, the remarks were interpreted as referring to an image of Mao Zedong, China’s founding leader.

“I apologize to the Chinese people”

In a statement published in French, Chinese and English, Mbappe said, “What I said was thoughtless. I now understand how many people my words hurt in China. I apologize to everyone who was upset by my words. I have great respect for the Chinese people and their history.” The French player also said he had reacted only to an image of himself during the interview.

Sponsors cut ties, broadcasts halted

Real Madrid'in Santiago Bernabeu Stadı (arşiv)

Following the controversy, Chinese beverage brand Dongpeng terminated its contract “immediately,” while dairy company Mengniu also ended its partnership with the footballer. The Paper reported that Chinese state television halted broadcasts of all matches and events involving LaLiga and Mbappe, and that Mbappe’s advertisements were also removed from broadcast. Four hashtags related to Mbappe ranked among the top 10 trending topics on China’s Weibo platform.

LaLiga President Javier Tebas apologized for the damage caused by Mbappe, saying, “We cannot allow the statement of a single individual to damage our long-standing, strong relationship with China, the more than 20 clubs in our league and Chinese fans.” LaLiga said the remarks were personal and did not represent the league.

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