New Delhi: French football star Kylian Mbappé has apologized for remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The comments sparked widespread criticism in China and prompted several companies to end their commercial partnerships with the Real Madrid forward. The controversy began during an interview with football show “The Bridge”, where Mbappé discussed an internet meme comparing him to a dictator.
Mbappé reportedly called the meme one of the funniest he had seen. He referred to the person depicted as a “Chinese dictator” and laughed as the programme showed an image resembling Mao with Mbappé’s face superimposed on it. Clips of the interview subsequently circulated online.
Why the remarks angered China
Mao led the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. He remains a prominent figure in the country’s official historical narrative and is regarded as a national icon by the ruling Communist Party of China. His rule also included political campaigns and policies that caused widespread suffering.
The comments angered Chinese fans, who viewed them as disrespectful towards their country’s history and a sensitive political figure. The backlash intensified after Dongqiudi, a major Chinese football news and community platform, said it would not translate the interview. The platform said the remarks had hurt the feelings of Chinese fans and the Chinese people.
The hashtag #MbappeStillOwesAnApology gained traction on social media platform. Some users also called on Real Madrid to address the controversy.
Chinese brands and media platforms take action
According to media reports, Dongpeng Beverage Group, dairy giant Mengniu and cheese producer Milkground announced that they were ending their commercial partnerships with Mbappé. All three companies opposed conduct they said hurt the feelings of the Chinese people.
Chinese social media platform RedNote said it was reviewing and removing related content. Mbappé’s accounts on RedNote and Weibo also became unavailable to follow, with both platforms displaying notices citing violations of community rules.
International brands Dior, On and Hublot removed Mbappé-related content from their Weibo accounts, Global Times reported. Chinese media also reported that state broadcaster CCTV had stopped featuring content related to the forward and suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches.
China’s foreign ministry also addressed the controversy. The Chiense Spokesman, Guo Jiakun, on Tuesday, said, “Any rhetoric or action that hurts the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally be rejected across the sectors in China.”
Mbappé and La Liga issue apologies
Mbappé later acknowledged that his remarks had caused offence and issued an apology.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” he said in a statement. “I apologize to everyone my words have upset.”
Spain’s La Liga also apologized for the offence caused to Chinese fans by Mbappé’s comments. In a press release on Tuesday, the league said it “deeply regrets the offense caused among Chinese fans” and apologized on behalf of the organization and its clubs.
The La Liga president, Javier Tebas, also issued a personal apology, saying, “I want to personally apologize to the Chinese fans for the offense caused.” The league said it would develop an awareness and communication protocol with clubs and players to help prevent similar incidents.