Real Madrid Issues Apology to China Over Kylian Mbappé's Mao Zedong Remarks

The Real Madrid club has officially apologized to the Chinese people for comments made by its player Kylian Mbappé about China's founding leader Mao Zedong, which were deemed disrespectful. Following the crisis, China Media Group (CMG) suspended the broadcasts of the Spanish league and the player's matches.

Real Madrid published an apology message directed at the Chinese people after its player Kylian Mbappé described Mao Zedong as a Chinese dictator in an online interview. In its statement, the club emphasized its deep respect for China, its history, culture, and millions of fans, stating that they shared in the apology for the discomfort caused by Mbappé's words.

Following his comments, Mbappé lost brand deals with at least three Chinese companies and expressed regret, stating that his words had hurt many people. China Media Group (CMG) announced that it had suspended broadcasts of Spanish league matches and demanded apologies from the club, the player, and La Liga. CMG reported receiving an apology from Real Madrid, while the Spanish league also published a similar apology. The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that they took Mbappé's apology seriously.