Kylian Mbappé: Sponsoren weg, Konten eingefroren: Wie ein Satz das ganze China-Geschäft gefährden kann
Nach einer Äußerung über Mao hat Fußballstar Mbappé seine Werbeverträge verloren und die gesamte spanische Liga in Mitleidenschaft gezogen. Der Fall zeigt, wie leicht ein Shitstorm entsteht.
Shanghai - The controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappé, the French football star, has now expanded to impact China's business landscape. During a podcast interview, Mbappé referred to Mao Zedong, the founding father of China, as a "Chinese dictator." This comment led several Chinese companies to sever ties with the football star.
Dongpeng, a beverage manufacturer, and Mengniu and Milkground, dairy companies, among others, stopped their sponsorship deals with Mbappé. Social media platforms Xiaohongshu, known as the Little Red Book abroad, and Weibo also froze Mbappé's accounts. State-run CCTV network halted the broadcasting of the Spanish league, where Mbappé plays.
The 27-year-old Real Madrid striker's apology did little to ease the situation, with the foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, stating in Beijing that they take the player's apology seriously.
Real Madrid and the Spanish league also expressed their regrets. Both understand the importance of China as a sales market and recognize that German clubs like Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are also active in the country. The political stance of local consumers carries significant economic relevance.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
