Kylian Mbappe has issued a public apology after facing widespread criticism in China over remarks he made about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
France and Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe has apologised to China and the country’s people on Tuesday for his remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, whom he referred to as a ‘dictator’.
The controversy erupted after a video showed Mbappe reacting to a famous meme which involved his face being photo-shopped onto what he described as “some guy — I think he’s a Chinese dictator.”
The French striker apparently joked about Zedong, a Chinese communist revolutionary, which triggered major backlash in China as major Chinese brands cut ties with him for offending national sentiments.
Mbappe apologises for hurting sentiments
In a statement shared on social media, Mbappe acknowledged that his remark was ill-judged and said he understood it had hurt the sentiments of people in China. He also apologised to everyone affected by his comments.
“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,” Mbappe said.
La Liga in damage control mode
Mbappe’s hurting Chinese sentiments had major repercussions, as state media outlet The Paper reported that Chinese public television was suspending broadcasts of La Liga’s matches. All advertisements related to the Real Madrid striker were also removed.
“LALIGA deeply regrets the offense caused by Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LALIGA. To the extent of our institutional responsibility, we apologize on behalf of LALIGA and all its clubs.
More from Football News“Spanish football upholds respect, coexistence, and unity among people of all cultures. We convey our respect to China, its institutions, and its people, and we deeply value the support of the millions of fans who follow us each week. We reaffirm our commitment to a relationship built over years,” the Spanish league wrote in a statement on ‘X’.
La Liga added that they were actively engaging with its Chinese stakeholders and institutional partners to resolve the issue and are also planning to work with clubs and players to introduce awareness and communication measures aimed towards cultural sensitivity, respect for different cultures and preventing such controversies in the future.