New Delhi: Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has apologised to Chinese fans over his comments about a meme featuring former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, following an apology from Spanish football league La Liga, with three Chinese companies reportedly ending their commercial partnerships with the French captain amid the backlash.
La Liga had earlier expressed regret over the offence caused by Mbappe’s remarks, distancing itself from his comments and announcing plans to introduce measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappe said in a statement posted on X Tuesday.
“I apologise to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry,” he added.
The controversy began after a video featuring Mbappe circulated online Monday. In the clip, the forward was asked about his favourite meme featuring himself and described a video showing a man he believed to be a Chinese dictator. The footage then showed an edited image of Mbappe’s face superimposed on the body of Mao Zedong.
The comments triggered a backlash among Chinese fans, with three Chinese companies reportedly subsequently ending their commercial associations with the Real Madrid star.
In its statement, La Liga said Mbappe’s comments were made in a personal capacity and did not represent the league. “Within the scope of our institutional responsibility, we apologise on behalf of La Liga and all its clubs,” the statement read.
The league reiterated that respect, coexistence and unity among people of different cultures were fundamental values of Spanish football. It also reaffirmed its respect for China, its institutions and its people, acknowledging the support of millions of Chinese fans.
La Liga president Javier Tebas personally apologised to Chinese supporters, saying he valued the trust they had placed in Spanish football over the years.
“As President of La Liga, I take on the responsibility of working with our clubs and players to strengthen awareness of and respect for different cultures. We want to nurture this relationship through action, and we will implement concrete measures to help ensure that situations like this do not happen again,” Tebas said.
La Liga said it would develop an awareness and communication protocol in collaboration with clubs and players. The proposed measures will complement its ongoing engagement with partners and institutional counterparts in China to address the situation.
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