Kylian Mbappé, LaLiga apologise to China over offensive remark

Kylian Mbappé, the star Real Madrid player, has extended an apology to the Chinese people for a joke he made about a meme featuring himself with Mao Zedong's face. This led to China severing ties with anything related to the Frenchman, including sponsorship agreements. The incident originated during an appearance on the French television show, The Bridge, where Mbappé was asked about his favorite amusing meme featuring himself.

He humorously stated, "The one that made me laugh the most was the one where they put my face on a Chinese dictator." The problematic image likely depicted Mao Zedong, China's leader from 1949 to 1976.

Mbappé's company, Interconnected Ventures, issued the apology in French, Chinese, and English on Tuesday. Mbappé acknowledged that his remarks were "poorly considered" and recognized that they caused distress among Chinese people and those in Chinese diaspora communities globally. He expressed deep regret for the unintended consequences of his comments and affirmed his admiration for Chinese culture.

La Liga, the Spanish football league, also apologized separately, emphasizing that Mbappé's remarks were personal and did not reflect the league or its clubs. La Liga's president, Javier Tebas, expressed sorrow for the harm caused, and the league introduced an educational protocol crafted jointly with clubs and players. In response, China Media Group, which manages state broadcaster CCTV, halted the transmission of La Liga matches and suspended advertisements featuring Mbappé, demanding formal apologies from La Liga, Mbappé, and Real Madrid before resuming talks.