Kylian Mbappé (27) has apologised for a comment in which he referred to former China Chairman Mao Zedong as a “dictator”. It follows swift backlash from Chinese sponsors.
Mbappé’s comments about Mao came during an appearance on the show The Bridge. Mbappé said that the funniest meme he had seen of him was the one where his face is photoshopped onto that of Mao Zedong. “I think he’s a Chinese dictator,” he said, before revealing that he would send the image to friends. Mao Zedong was not specifically named in the video, which was taken down.
Energy drink company Dongpeng and dairy producer Meigniu both announced the termination of their sponsorship deals with Mbappé, stating that his “behaviour offends national sentiment“.
It was also announced that games in which Mbappé participates would not be broadcast in China. Real Madrid’s games in La Liga would naturally be affected. The league put out a statement on Tuesday morning stating that they “deeply regret the offence caused by Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments among Chinese fans. Those comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent La Liga,” read an official statement. “We apologise on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs.”
Mbappé has now also made his apology, shared on Xin English, Mandarin, and French. “During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself. My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. I apologise to everyone my words have upset. That was absolutely not my intention.
“I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” added the France captain. The controversy comes in the wake of Monday night’s Ballon d’Or ceremony. The Real Madrid forward was one of the favourites to win the trophy, which was awarded to Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
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