Real Madrid apologises to 'the Chinese people' after Mbappé's Mao 'dictator' joke costs him Chinese brand deals
Kylian Mbappé, whose lost endorsement deals with Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground followed his description of Mao Zedong as "a Chinese dictator," faces a potentially permanent commercial ban in China.Mao Zedong, whose description by Kylian Mbappé as "a Chinese dictator" prompted Chinese state television to pull the entire Spanish La Liga from its broadcast schedule.
China's state broadcaster has confirmed it received Real Madrid's apology after the club formally asked "the Chinese people" to forgive Kylian Mbappé, 27, for joking on French talk show 'The Bridge' that Mao Zedong was "a Chinese dictator." China Media Group had suspended its £20m-a-year broadcast deal with La Liga and demanded contrition from the club, the player and the league. Beijing's foreign ministry said it took the apology "seriously" but gave no indication whether Mbappé would recover his lost sponsorships.
Mbappé's 'dictator' quip cost him brand deals with at least three Chinese companies before either apology was issued.
China Media Group also demanded La Liga apologise — the Spanish league complied within hours, before the club's own statement followed.
Multiple YouTube clips of the original meme were reportedly deleted under Chinese pressure — a sign Beijing's campaign extended well beyond football.
