Kathmandu. Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation, has said that the controversy that arose after France captain Kylian Mbappe called former Chinese President Mao Zedong a “dictator” should end.
Diallo said that Mbappe has apologized for his comments about Mao and made it clear that he had no intention of insulting anyone. Now he should focus on his game. Mbappe’s club Real Madrid and Spanish La Liga have also apologized for the comment.
In addition to forming a special team to resolve the dispute, La Liga president Javier Tebas met with the Chinese ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, on Wednesday. In China, making satirical comments about Mao is considered a socially sensitive issue. Mao led China from 1949 until his death in 1976.
The Chinese state media “China Daily” reported that Mbappe’s comments angered Chinese supporters, affected his business relations and sent a clear message about the limits of the influence of famous people.
Meanwhile, China’s state broadcaster Migu will not broadcast the match between Real Madrid and Racing Santander on Sunday. Similarly, Chinese brands including dairy company Mengniu, Shanghai Milkground Food Tech and beverage company Stroke Beverage have ended their collaboration with Mbappe.
Diallo expressed hope that the dispute will be resolved soon. Speaking to the French media Oest-France on Thursday, he said, “Kilian has clarified the context of his comments and has already apologized.” Therefore, I hope that this dispute will not be prolonged for a long time. He added, “Now this issue should be settled here and he should be allowed to play the rest of the season in the best condition.”
The controversy is linked to a long-standing satire about the 27-year-old Mbappe’s influence at club level. In a video interview on a French podcast, Mbappe discussed a meme in which his face was attached to a picture of a person and said he thought the person was a Chinese dictator.
The video has now been removed. By satirizing Mbappe’s power to influence the decision of the club he plays for, the supporters had previously attached his face to the pictures of various military and political leaders and made memes. For this reason, he has been given the nickname “tyrant” in the European media. The spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the government took Mbappe’s apology seriously.