Kylian Mbappé has apologised for “ill-judged” comments he made about late Chinese leader Mao Zedong which led to him being dropped by several Chinese brands.
Mbappé had reportedly told French talk show The Bridge the meme “that makes me laugh the most, it’s the one where there’s a video of a guy, I think it’s a Chinese dictator…” He then laughs as the programme cuts to a meme showing his face superimposed on an image resembling Mao.
The meme is part of a running joke about the Real Madrid forward being called a “dictator” because of his huge influence in football.
“My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world,” Mbappé said in a statement.
“I apologise to everyone my words have upset.”
Spain’s La Liga also apologised, saying it “deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé’s recent comments have caused among Chinese fans”.
The joke did not go down well in China, where Mao is revered by the Communist Party, despite his chaotic and often violent rule that left millions dead.
A few people came out in support of him on Chinese social media, but this is a rare response given China’s tightly controlled internet, where people are expected to toe the party and government line on sensitive topics.
Few topics are as sensitive as Mao, which may explain why brands were so quick to terminate partnerships with a global sports star like Mbappé.
The original video is not available on the show’s YouTube channel, and it’s unclear when the interview hosted by Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni first aired. In clips that have been circulating online, Mbappé does not identify Mao by name. He says he “uses [the meme] with friends all the time”.
The furore appeared to kick off on Monday night after Chinese football forum Dongqiudi drew attention to the comments in a statement, saying they were “inappropriate” and “hurt the feelings of Chinese people”.
Screengrabs of the clip and meme have since spread quickly on Chinese social media, with people echoing this sentiment and even calling for a boycott of both the French striker and his club, Real Madrid.
But some have blurred the meme itself as well as the part of the comment they found offensive, when Mbappe refers to “a Chinese dictator”.
Dongqiudi said in its statement that it was “unable to translate” his comments because they were “offensive to China and the Chinese people”.
Many people are therefore also wondering what exactly Mbappe said and have responded to the angry posts and comments with questions, wanting to know more.