Chinese state TV continues Real Madrid blackout after Mbappe-Mao meme row

Kylian Mbappé has apologized for comments regarding a meme that superimposed his face onto an image of Chinese leader Mao Zedong. According to Punch Nigeria, the French forward made the remarks during an appearance on the French talk show The Bridge, stating the meme was one that made him laugh the most. Mbappé admitted the comments were ill-judged and acknowledged that they hurt people in China and Chinese communities globally.

The incident has led to significant repercussions. Euronews reports that at least three Chinese companies have ended brand deals with the footballer and that China's Foreign Ministry has responded to the controversy. Punch Nigeria reports that China Media Group, the parent organization of CCTV, previously demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid, and La Liga, and has since suspended the broadcast of Spanish La Liga matches.

Following these decisions, CCTV refused to air a Real Madrid match against Racing Santander on Sunday.

Real Madrid and La Liga have issued apologies regarding the incident. While China's Foreign Ministry stated it took Mbappé's apology seriously, Punch Nigeria notes that the controversy arose because Mao remains a highly sensitive political and historical figure in China.

Brief written by urgent.news from Euronews, Punch Nigeria — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.