Mbappe Apologizes After China Ends Sponsors and La Liga Broadcasts
Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe issued a trilingual apology on Tuesday after a viral clip cost him major Chinese contracts and led state television to halt Spanish league coverage.
By Rafael Bailey ·
Kylian Mbappe, the 27-year-old forward for Real Madrid and captain of the French national team, issued a formal apology to China on Tuesday. The statement was released in French, Mandarin, and English after a video of his comments about a historical leader triggered a commercial and diplomatic response in the Asian market.
The controversy originated from a clip that circulated online on Monday. In the footage, which appears to have been filmed in April, Mbappe described a popular internet meme as the funniest he had seen. He explained that the image showed his face digitally superimposed on "some guy, I think he's a Chinese dictator." The clip was originally shared by the French football podcast The Bridge before being removed from the platform.
The reference alluded to Mao Zedong, who led China from 1949 until his death in 1976. While European media has frequently used the nickname "the dictator" for Mbappe due to his influence at his clubs, Chinese state media treated the remark as a sensitive cultural breach. The Global Times, a state-aligned newspaper, noted that one does not get to profit from China while disrespecting it. The outlet added that many Chinese citizens would rather not repeat the specific wording.
Commercial partners reacted quickly to the backlash. Dongpeng, a Chinese beverage company, announced on Tuesday that it was terminating its contract with Mbappe immediately. The company cited a zero-tolerance policy for behavior that offends national sentiments. Dairy producer Mengniu also severed its ties with the player. Reports indicated that fashion house Dior and watchmaker Hublot removed Mbappe-related content from their Weibo pages. At the Adidas flagship store in Beijing's Sanlitun district, Real Madrid jerseys were available for sale, but none featured Mbappe's name.
The disruption extended to television broadcasting. The Paper, a state-backed media outlet, reported that China's state television network had stopped airing all matches and events involving La Liga and Mbappe. Advertisements featuring the player were also removed from screens. Sports sponsorship expert Terrence Burns stated that Mbappe's team should have understood the high stakes involved in Chinese brand endorsements. The situation mirrors a 2019 incident where China suspended NBA sponsorships and pulled games for a year following a separate controversy.
In his apology, Mbappe described his comment as ill-judged. He acknowledged that the remark hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world. He stated that he had been reacting to an image of himself and expressed deep respect for the Chinese people and their history. On Wednesday, Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said the government took the apology seriously.
La Liga and Real Madrid have taken steps to manage the fallout. Javier Tebas, the president of La Liga, met with China's ambassador to Spain and referred to China as a strategic partner. Reuters reported that Tebas is considering a trip to China to prevent a substantial financial loss for Spanish football. Although Tebas and Real Madrid have a strained relationship due to internal power struggles, both organizations coordinated their response.
Real Madrid issued its own apology to the Chinese people on Wednesday. The club stated that it maintains a deep respect for China, its history, its culture, and its citizens. Xiaohongshu, a social media platform, froze Mbappe's account, which has at least one million followers, while Weibo barred new followers from joining his page.
