China's CCTV has reacted to Kylian Mbappe's apology for a comment related to the image of Mao Zedong. The television said it was ready to accept them, but would closely monitor the footballer's future behavior.
“We hope that La Liga, Real Madrid and Mbappe will learn a true lesson, make a sincere apology and properly correct the mistakes made“, CCTV said in a statement.
How the scandal started
The reason is an excerpt from an interview Mbappe gave to the French show The Bridge. In it, the “Real“ striker is talking about a meme in which his face is superimposed on the image of a Chinese dictator. The video that was shared shows an image related to Mao Zedong, although the footballer does not mention a specific name.
After the video was shared, Mbappe posted an apology in French, English and Chinese. He said his comment was thoughtless and that he understood why it had offended many people in China and representatives of Chinese communities around the world.
„I apologize to everyone who felt offended by my words. That was not my intention at all. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history and I sincerely regret it“, Mbappe said.The consequences for the footballer and La Liga
Before CCTV's reaction, Chinese state television had stopped broadcasting La Liga matches and matches involving Mbappe. Advertisements featuring the French striker were also removed from the airwaves and related platforms.
Three Chinese companies have ended their advertising relationships with the footballer. Dongpeng, Mengniu and Milkground did not specify specific financial parameters of the contracts, but said they opposed words and actions that could hurt national feelings.
The Chinese Football Association has lodged an official protest with “Real“ and demanded a public apology from the club and Mbappe. La Liga also expressed regret for the offense to Chinese fans and stressed that the comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent the organization.
According to La Liga, it is working with partners and institutional representatives in China to resolve the situation. It has not yet been announced how long the suspension of television broadcasts will last, nor whether the measure will affect all platforms that broadcast the Spanish championship in the country.
Sources: rbc.ru, apnews.com, elpais.com