Real Madrid have issued an apology as French forward Kylian Mbappe faces a backlash over his comments regarding late Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
In a video on a French podcast that has since been removed, Mbappe was heard discussing a meme where his face had been photoshopped on another person. Mbappe reportedly said it was of “some guy – I think he's a Chinese dictator”. Mbappe and Real Madrid both issued an apology.
“Real Madrid CF wishes to express its apologies to the Chinese people for any discomfort caused by the recent words of our player Kylian Mbappe,” Madrid said in a statement.
“Our club holds deep respect for China, its history, its culture, and its citizens, as well as for the millions of Chinese fans who feel affection and admiration for Real Madrid.
“The club joins the public apology expressed by Kylian Mbappe, in which the player himself has conveyed his regret for his words and reiterated his respect for the Chinese people.”
Mbappe had issued an apology overnight, stating that his remarks were ill-judged. He has reportedly already lost two sponsorship deals with Chinese companies.
“During a recent interview, I reacted to an image of myself,” Mbappe said in a statement. “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,” added Mbappe. “This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history.”
La Liga president Javier Tebas said that he held a meeting with the ambassador of China in Spain to address the situation and “seek solutions that allow us to overcome this episode”.
“Our commitment is to keep working together so that an individual episode does not harm the important advances achieved nor affect the millions of Chinese fans who follow our competitions,” Tebas said in a statement. “China is and will continue to be a strategic partner for La Liga.”
On Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the country took note of the apology. “We take seriously the apology that the person has made,” Jiakun said.
