{
  "id": 17532104,
  "title": "Mourinho says Real Madrid have ‘done our part’ over Mbappe Mao controversy",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/mourinho-says-real-madrid-have-done-our-part-over-mbappe-mao",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-01T03:57:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Malay Mail",
    "slug": "malay-mail-malaymail",
    "url": "https://www.malaymail.com/news/sports/2026/11/01/mourinho-says-real-madrid-have-done-our-part-over-mbappe-china-controversy/241535"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Real Madrid's coach Jose Mourinho declared on Monday that the involvement of the club in the controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappe's comments about an internet meme featuring himself alongside former Chinese leader Mao Zedong was concluded. This came after both Mbappe and the club themselves issued apologies for the remarks. Mbappe's comments had triggered a backlash in China, with Real Madrid, the French forward, and La Liga all issuing apologies. However, Chinese state television subsequently removed Spanish football from its programming. In an interview with French show The Bridge, which has since been removed, Mbappe expressed amusement at the meme, an apparent reference to Mao. Mourinho praised both Mbappe and the club for their \"class\" in issuing swift apologies, stating that the matter is now resolved on their end. He also conveyed concern for the dangers of speaking in today's world, where even well-intentioned comments can cause international tensions. Mbappe, who finished second behind Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane in the Ballon d'Or voting, encountered a challenging week. Mourinho commended Mbappe's maturity in handling the situation after Kane's victory. The coach also commented on Jude Bellingham's impressive 11th place finish in the voting, expressing surprise and implying that Bellingham should have achieved a higher ranking. Despite his disappointment, Mourinho expressed genuine happiness for Kane's success.",
  "summary": "MADRID, Nov 1 — Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said yesterday the club’s involvement in the controversy ove...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Real, Mbappe have moved on from China controversy, says Mourinho",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/01/real-mbappe-have-moved-on-from-china-controversy-says-mourinho",
        "published": "2026-11-01T01:36:51.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}