Mourinho Says Real Madrid and Mbappe Have Moved On From China Row
Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho says his club and Kylian Mbappe have moved on from the row over the striker's comments about Mao Zedong. He made the point at a news conference on Saturday, ahead of Real's La Liga match at Racing Santander on Sunday.
The trouble started on a French talk show. Mbappe, the France captain, was asked about memes that made him laugh. He said the one he liked most showed his face on a "Chinese dictator" who looked like Mao, the former Chinese leader. He was talking about his nickname at the time. Mbappe is often called a "dictator" because of how much influence he has in football.
A clip of the exchange spread quickly. It set off a backlash on social media in China and beyond, and several Chinese brands dropped him. Real Madrid apologised to the Chinese people for the discomfort caused. On Tuesday, Mbappe issued his own statement, calling the comments "ill-judged". He added: "I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world."
Asked about the reaction, Mourinho took a more measured line. "Often the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut," he said. He described giving offence as one of the "dangers of today's world", and he praised Mbappe for how he responded. "Both Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe have shown the class to react immediately," Mourinho said.
He was also asked whether he worried about being misrepresented by AI-made fake video clips of himself and Mbappe. Mourinho gave a short, sharp answer: "My club is Real Madrid, and my player is Kylian Mbappe."
For readers new to the story, the basic picture is simple. A joke about a meme turned into an international row within days. The apology came first from the club, then from the player, and the coach has now chosen to close the subject. Whether the matter is truly finished will depend on how China's fans and the brands involved respond in the weeks ahead.
What stands out is how fast all of this moved. A few lines spoken on a French show reached fans on several continents within a day or two. Football players have always spoken on the record, but now every phrase can be clipped, shared and judged in minutes, often without the context around it.
