Mourinho Praises Mbappe’s Class After China Apology, Says Matter Closed
Real Madrid manager José Mourinho has backed Kylian Mbappé following the French forward’s apology over comments that sparked backlash in China, describing both the player’s and the club’s response as responsible and classy.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference on Saturday ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga fixture against Racing Santander on Sunday, Mourinho addressed the controversy surrounding Mbappé’s remarks about a meme involving former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
“These are the dangers of today’s world, where many times the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut, because there’s danger in so many things you say or comment on,” Mourinho told reporters.
“But I have also seen him act very responsibly with a club that, at this regard, is of great class. As far as we’re concerned, that’s it. We have nothing more to say.
“Both Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé had the class to react immediately, and I feel, as manager, very well represented by both of them.”
The issue arose from comments Mbappé made in an interview on the French show “The Bridge,” in which he referred to a meme that superimposed his face on an image of “some guy, I think he’s a Chinese dictator.”
The remarks, which circulated widely, caused offence in China, where references to Mao remain highly sensitive.
Mbappé issued a public apology earlier this week, stating his comments were “ill-judged” and that he understood they had hurt many people in China and Chinese communities worldwide. Real Madrid and La Liga also apologised.
Mourinho emphasised that the club and player had fulfilled their responsibilities.
“I’ve seen a lot of responsibility from a club which, at this level, is a club of great class, and as far as we’re concerned, that’s it, we’ve done our part, there’s nothing more for us to do,” he said.
The controversy led to commercial repercussions for Mbappé in China and prompted La Liga officials to engage with Chinese representatives to manage the fallout.
Mourinho indicated the focus for Real Madrid had now shifted back to football matters.
By Oyinkansola Shittu.
