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Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not broadcast a Real Madrid La Liga match on Sunday after star forward Kylian Mbappé caused a furore in China with remarks he made about former leader Mao Zedong. FRANCE 24's correspondent Jan Camenzind Broomby reports.
China Media Group, which acknowledged Mbappé's apology, has not said how long the blackout will last.
Kylian Mbappé and Yan Diomandé have once again scored for Real Madrid against Santander (3-0). After a difficult start to the season, Real Madrid have now won nine of their last 10 games.
His comment about Chinese leader Mao sparked anger but censorship left many wondering what exactly happened.
A joke about a meme has triggered a crisis between Killian Mbappé and China. The French striker reacted in an interview to a manipulated image that represented him as Mao Zedong, a former Chinese leader he referred to as a dictator. The controversy has had commercial and sports consequences: three Chinese companies have broken their agreements with the football player and state television has suspended LaLiga's broadcasts in which the gala comes out. Mbappé, the Spanish competition and Real Madrid have apologized. Why has the reference to Mao caused such a strong reaction and
François Picard welcomes Igor Mladenovic, a French-Serbian sports writer, sports business analyst and former football commentator based in Luxembourg. For Mladenovic, the backlash in China over Kylian Mbappé's playful reference to a meme depicting him in the likeness of Mao Zedong illustrates a dilemma of the digital age: how a seemingly innocuous anecdote from a football superstar can escalate into a geopolitical firestorm.
Real Madrid apologised to the Chinese people on Wednesday after star striker Kylian Mbappé sparked a furious backlash over comments referring to the founding leader of Communist China as a dictator. The club's apology came a day after Mbappé and Spain's La Liga football championship expressed regret over the comments.
On Wednesday, Real Madrid apologized to the Chinese populace for "the inconvenience" that the statements of his star attacker might have caused, in the wake of a polemic triggered by Kylian Mbappé's comments on the "dictator" Mao Zedong.
In the face of Beijing's refusal to lift the veto to retransmissions despite the gestures of the football player and LaLiga, the club has regretted "the discomfort that the recent words" of its player have caused.
Killian Mbappé stated on Tuesday, October 27, that he was "sincerely sorry" for his "clumsy statements" about Chinese leader Mao Zedong, in the midst of a wave of criticism in the Asian nation. The outrage in China led to the cancellation of advertising contracts with the French football star and even spilled LaLiga, whose rebroadcasts were suspended and which now attempts to amend the matter.
The well-known football player, Killian Mbappé, lost the sponsorship of two major Chinese sponsors and caused the cancellation of the Spanish league's retransmission in that country, after he commented in an interview about a meme with his face over who he believes is a Chinese dictator, who called "the funniest," but he is the founder of communist China, Mao Zedong.
The French star referred to the former Chinese leader as a "dictator" during an interview on memes.
French superstar Kylian Mbappé presented "his apologies" and said "seriously sorry" after facing a shielding and cancellation of advertising contracts in China following the online broadcast of a video in which he seems to be joking about former historical leader Mao Zedong.
The French star had called the former Chinese leader a "dictator" in an interview about memes.
The football player apologizes through a statement in French, English and Chinese on his social media: "I apologize to those who have been angry by my words." Javier Tebas also apologizes to the Asian country: "We deeply regret it"
Two Chinese companies ended their collaboration with Kylian Mbappé, said he had hit the "national sentiments", after the footballer joked about former historical leader Mao Zedong. The French star then presented her "apologies" in a press release, saying "seriously sorry".
The France star had referred to the former Chinese leader as a "dictator" during an interview about memes.
The British striker in London raises the award that recognizes the best world football player to Mbappé and Lamine Yamal on a night given to the football of Barcelona and the selection of Luis de la Fuente
Harry Kane, front of the Bayern in Munich and the English team, was crowned on Monday, October 26, in London, with the Golden Ball. The Spanish centrocampist Alexia Putellas, for her part, received the Women's Gold Ball, the highest individual award of female football after another season of success with her club and selection.
French forward Kylian Mbappé, England captain Harry Kane and Spain's Lamine Yamal are among the favourites to be crowned the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner at a ceremony to be hosted Monday for the first time in England in recognition of the first winner Stanley Matthews.
