Mbappé sorry for 'ill-judged' Mao remark after backlash in China

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 that a meme about a "Chinese dictator" made him laugh. 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 that 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.

Spain's La Liga also apologised, saying it "deeply regrets the offence that Kylian Mbappé's recent comments have caused among Chinese fans". 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".