Mbappé crisis deepens: Real Madrid reject the apology, and China responds with a fiery statement
Real Madrid refuse to apologise to China and have distanced themselves from the comments of their star Kylian Mbappé. The Spanish club insist their commercial partnerships have not changed, a stance that has angered the Chinese media group now demanding a public apology.
The Mbappé and China affair has taken a new turn. A video clip spread showing the Real Madrid forward reacting to mocking images that portrayed him as a dictator, including a reference to the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong. The French player suddenly found himself at the heart of a fierce controversy.
His comments provoked widespread anger in China. Numerous brands decided to end their partnerships with him, and despite his public apology, the pressure has not eased. The Chinese Football Association protested, state media deleted content about him, and the question of the commercial fallout continues to fuel the debate.
La Liga president Javier Tebas only escalated the affair with his own reaction. He held an emergency meeting with the Chinese ambassador to Spain and apologised to the Chinese people on behalf of the competition, stressing that the actions of one individual should not harm existing relations with local partners and fans.
That firm stance stands in stark contrast to Real Madrid's position. According to "OK Diario" and relayed by French network "Foot Mercato", the Madrid club intend to maintain their commercial ties with China. They consider their player's comments a personal expression with no intention to offend.
Real Madrid insist their agreements with their Chinese sponsors have not changed, despite the termination of the contracts that directly affected Mbappé.
The club's position has become the focus of a new round of diplomatic and media negotiations. Chinese news agency "Dongqiudi" reported, citing "OK Diario", that a spokesperson for the Sports and Youth Centre of "China Media Group", owner of the Chinese channel "CCTV", publicly rejected the Spanish club's justification.
The spokesperson's statement read: "We have taken note of Real Madrid's position. Yesterday and today, the president of La Liga and other relevant parties sent repeated messages to CCTV offering a public apology. We believe that Mbappé's disgraceful comments have hurt the Chinese people, crossed red lines, and exceeded the limits of freedom of expression."
He added: "Mbappé is a Real Madrid player, and the club bears a heavy responsibility. Therefore, we reject Real Madrid's justification that Mbappé 'never intended to offend anyone, and that he stated players have the right to express their personal opinions', and we reject Real Madrid's position." The excuses offered so far clearly have not convinced the Chinese parties.
On the commercial situation, the official spokesperson was extremely firm. Real Madrid may affirm that their partnerships with China continue as usual, but the Chinese media group refuse to confirm this claim and warn the club's management that it cannot ignore the anger the affair has provoked.
The group's statement read: "Regarding Real Madrid's claim that the club's partnership with its Chinese sponsors has not changed, we will not verify this. However, we remind everyone that words and actions that would offend the Chinese people will naturally provoke widespread anger across all sectors of Chinese society. We hope Real Madrid will not be deceived. Until the club offers an apology, all discussions are suspended."
Real Madrid are trying to separate Mbappé's personal comments from their commercial commitments. The strategy is not enough to appease the Chinese side, who now demand a public apology from the club.
