Real Madrid apologises to Chinese people after Mbappé’s remark about Mao

Real Madrid apologised to the Chinese people on Wednesday after Kylian Mbappé called Mao Zedong a “dictator”, prompting a fierce backlash in China. The club said it deeply respects China, its history, culture and citizens, as well as its millions of Chinese fans. State-owned platform Migu will not broadcast Real Madrid’s La Liga match against Racing Santander on Sunday, while several Chinese brands have ended their partnerships with Mbappé. The controversy also prompted La Liga president Javier Tebas to form a crisis unit and meet Chinese ambassador Yao Jing.