The President of the French Football Federation Philippe Diallo has come out in support of Kylian Mbappe amid the growing scandal between the French star and China. The national team captain sparked a fierce backlash with a comment about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, whom he called a dictator during an appearance on the podcast “The Bridge”.
The striker's words sparked outrage in China, and the consequences were immediate. Several Chinese companies have ended their advertising partnerships with the footballer, and state television has stopped broadcasting matches from the Spanish championship. Mbappe later issued a public apology, admitting that his comment was inappropriate and had hurt many people in China.
Amid the tension, Philippe Diallo expressed his support for the striker in an interview with the French publication “Ouest-France”. According to the president of the federation, the reaction was too harsh and he did not believe that Mbappe intended to offend the Chinese people or tarnish the prestige of a historical figure in the country.
“I saw this controversy, which I think is a bit exaggerated. I do not think that Kylian in any way wanted to damage the image of a Chinese leader, nor to offend or hurt the Chinese people“, said Diallo.
The head of French football stressed that Mbappe has already explained the context of his statement and has apologized. Therefore, according to him, it is time for the case to be closed so that the footballer can focus on his performances with Real Madrid and the national team.
“I hope that this controversy will not continue. Kylian explained very well the context in which he made his comment and apologized. I think we should leave things at that so that he can continue his season in the best possible conditions“, added the FFF president.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and the La Liga leadership have also taken action to control the situation. However, the scandal is already having real consequences for Mbappe's commercial partnerships and the presence of Spanish football in the Chinese market.