France football chief backs Mbappe to move on after China apology
Philippe Diallo says Kylian Mbappe has apologised and intended no offence after the Real Madrid forward described Mao Zedong as a dictator.
At a glance
- French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo said Kylian Mbappe should be allowed to move on after apologising.
- Real Madrid and La Liga also apologised, and La Liga president Javier Tebas met China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing.
- Chinese broadcaster Migu dropped a Real Madrid match and brands including Mengniu ended cooperation with Mbappe.
French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has said Kylian Mbappe should be allowed to move on from the controversy over the France captain referring to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a dictator, citing the player's apology and his stated lack of intent to offend.
Speaking to the French newspaper Ouest-France on Thursday, Diallo said he hoped the dispute would be resolved quickly, adding that Mbappe had explained the context of the remark and should be left to focus on his season.
Real Madrid and La Liga have also apologised. La Liga president Javier Tebas set up a crisis unit and met China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, on Wednesday, as Spanish football sought to contain the fallout.
Fallout in China
Chinese state broadcaster Migu is not showing Real Madrid's game at Racing Santander on Sunday. Chinese brands, including dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, and Eastroc Beverage, have ceased all cooperation with Mbappe.
China Daily, a state media outlet, said the remark had triggered a backlash among the player's Chinese fans, threatened his commercial relationships and offered a reminder of the limits of celebrity influence.
A spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the government was taking Mbappe's apology "seriously".
How the row began
The controversy stems from a long-running joke about Mbappe's influence at club level. In a video on a French podcast that has since been taken down, the 27-year-old is heard discussing a meme in which his face had been photoshopped onto that of "some guy", adding: "I think he's a Chinese dictator."
Fans had previously superimposed Mbappe's face on images of military and political leaders to suggest he could influence decisions at the teams he plays for, and he has been nicknamed "the dictator" in the European press.
The episode highlights the risks for athletes and brands in China's lucrative market, where satire about Mao, who governed the country from 1949 until his death in 1976, remains a social taboo.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- What did Kylian Mbappe say about Mao Zedong?
- In a video on a French podcast that has since been taken down, Mbappe discussed a meme and said: "I think he's a Chinese dictator." He, Real Madrid and La Liga have apologised.
- Why did Mbappe's comment cause a backlash in China?
- Satire about Mao Zedong, who governed China from 1949 until his death in 1976, remains a social taboo there, and China Daily said the remark triggered a backlash among the player's Chinese fans.
- What has the French Football Federation said about Mbappe?
- Its president, Philippe Diallo, said Mbappe explained the context and apologised, and that the controversy should not last so he can continue his season in the best conditions.
