Mbappe apologizes in three languages ​​after a statement that angered China...and LaLiga takes action

French player Kylian Mbappé expressed his apology to the Chinese people, after he recently made an “unsuccessful” statement about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. Kylian Mbappe said in a statement published in Chinese, English and French, via his account on the “X” platform, on Tuesday: “During an interview I recently conducted, I commented on a picture of myself. My comment was unsuccessful, and I realize that it hurt many in China and in Chinese communities around the world.”

He added: "I apologize to everyone who was offended by my words. This was not my intention at all. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry." During a media interview, Mbappé responded to a question about his favorite “meme” among those circulating on social media platforms. He replied: “What I liked most was a clip that someone made of a person...I think he was a Chinese dictator.”

The video then appeared in an edited image in which the French player's face was placed on the body of Mao Zedong, who was wearing a blue suit. Mbappe is jokingly nicknamed "the dictator" by football fans online, and memes depicting him as "Mao Zedong" or other authoritarian leaders are widely circulated.

LaLiga and its president, Javier Tebas, apologized to the Chinese fans after the French player’s statement, which sparked widespread controversy. Tebas said through his account in a statement: “At LaLiga, we express our deep regret over the statements made by Mbappe that caused dissatisfaction and offense among the Chinese people. We understand the sensitivity of the Chinese people and fully respect them.”

Javier Tebas stressed: “We cannot allow individual statements to harm this relationship (with China), or to harm the more than 20 clubs in our professional competitions, our partners, and above all the Chinese fans.” He continued: “At LaLiga, we are taking the measures within our reach to address this situation and promote the respect and cultural sensitivity that must prevail in any action related to our competition. I would like to personally renew our utmost respect for China and its people, and our firm will to continue strengthening relations that we consider strategic, deep and lasting.”

The LaLiga president concluded: “No single incident can jeopardize a relationship that has existed for many years, nor the bond that unites Spanish football with millions of Chinese fans.” In response to a question about this controversy, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Gu Jiaqun said: “Words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will, of course, be met with collective opposition from all sectors of Chinese society.”

It is noteworthy that Mbappe participated in advertising campaigns inside China for various products, ranging from mineral drinks to milk and cheese. In one of the commercials for the “Dongpeng” brand, Mbappé appears uttering a slogan in Chinese, while in another advertisement for the “Mengniu” company, he appears alongside the Argentine football star Lionel Messi.

On Chinese social media platforms, comments critical of the football star continued. Tags such as “Dongpeng ends its partnership with Mbappe” and “Several brands end their partnerships with Mbappe” topped the list of the most popular topics on the Weibo platform.

The hashtag “Football fans boycott Mbappé” also spread, with some users expressing their anger at his statements, and others demanding that he not visit China.