Chinese media targets Real Madrid as Mbappe saga escalates – report

The aftermath and the sheer uproar of Kylian Mbappe’s reference to Mao Zedong has been intense, with Chinese broadcasters going as far as to block La Liga.

This has prompted a more widespread effort to condemn Mbappe’s comments, with Real Madrid and even La Liga president Javier Tebas issuing an apology.

China is not ready to back off just yet, as the nation has been using its media mechanism to slander Real Madrid and warn them.

Chinese media slanders Real Madrid

The Mbappe action has hurt La Liga and China’s friendship. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

According to MARCA, several Chinese broadcasters and media companies have started taking shots at Real Madrid following the Mbappe debacle.

Critics point out that the club took almost 48 hours to respond, only issuing its official statement on the afternoon of October 28, well after both Mbappe and Tebas had apologised.

In the interim, Madrid were accused of posting a video of Mbappe’s 100th goal and telling the Spanish press the player had “only spoke in a personal capacity.”

Outlets such as the Global Times have insisted the club “must take responsibility and implement measures,” while the Zhejiang Propaganda Department accused Madrid of a recurring pattern of distancing themselves from such incidents before resorting to silence.

Accusations of a double standard

Mbappe finished second in this year’s Ballon d’Or.. (Photo by Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)

Chinese media have contrasted Madrid’s slow response with the club’s swift, forceful condemnation back in February, when Vinicius Jr was the victim of a racist incident.

On that occasion, the club mobilised immediately, whereas here, they claim, it initially opted for silence.

The financial stakes help explain the sensitivity. China accounts for between 10 and 15 percent of the club’s international merchandise sales, with Mbappe’s jersey the top seller, while Madrid boast nearly 97 million fans in the country, their biggest market outside Spain.

The fallout has already spread across several fronts, from suspended CCTV broadcasts to sponsors reassessing their ties and a potential tour of China reportedly being shelved.

Beijing’s Foreign Ministry calling the apology merely “a starting point,” which means this saga could drag on for longer.