Mbappé controversy deals lasting blow to La Liga in China
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Vanguard
The controversy surrounding Kylian Mbappé’s remarks about Mao Zedong continues to tarnish the image of Real Madrid and La Liga in China after brands ended contracts. Experts say the organisations will take time to restore their reputation, Vanguard reports.
The controversy in China caused by Kylian Mbappé’s remarks about Mao Zedong risks permanently damaging the image of La Liga and Real Madrid, specialists cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) say. The French striker, his club and the Spanish league apologised within two days of the video being broadcast, but several major Chinese brands have severed ties with the 27-year-old player and La Liga matches are to be removed from public broadcaster CCTV.
Chinese sports commentator Yan Qiang said the affair was causing “serious damage” to the image of La Liga and Real Madrid in China. He said an apology was preferable to no apology, without guaranteeing that it would end the controversy. China’s Foreign Ministry said it took Mbappé’s apology seriously.
The crisis comes in a particularly lucrative Chinese market for foreign clubs and sporting competitions. Mao Zedong, founder of the People’s Republic of China and a figure officially revered by Beijing, remains a sensitive subject, even though historians attribute responsibility for millions of deaths to him.
This new assessment comes after Mbappé’s apology over Mao remarks in China, issued on 27 October, followed by China’s suspension of La Liga, announced on 28 October.
