LaLiga and its president bow to China's communist regime following Mbappé controversy

The controversy involving Kylian Mbappé mocking former Chinese Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong has forced Spanish soccer authorities to react quickly to prevent further damage.

Javier Tebas, president of LaLiga, the top Spanish soccer league in which Mbappé plays for Real Madrid, issued a statement expressing his apologies for some inflammatory remarks made by the soccer player about Mao, whom he described as "a Chinese dictator."

"From LALIGA, we deeply regret the statements made by Kylian Mbappé that have caused discomfort and offense in China. We understand the harm caused and, on behalf of LALIGA, I wish to convey our sincere apologies to the Chinese people," said Tebas.

The president noted that Spanish soccer has been working with China for "many years," a country with which it has built "a relationship of respect, trust, and cooperation."

"We cannot allow an individual action to tarnish that relationship or harm the more than 20 clubs in our professional competitions and millions of Chinese fans. ... Our commitment to China, its people, and its institutions is steadfast. A relationship built over so many years cannot be damaged by a single episode," added Tebas, assuring that they will take measures "to resolve this situation."

The Spanish league joined in those apologies. "LALIGA deeply regrets the offense caused by Kylian Mbappé's recent comments among Chinese fans. These comments were made in a personal capacity and do not represent LALIGA. To the extent of our institutional responsibility, we apologize on behalf of LALIGA and all its clubs," it wrote in a statement.

The statements by Tebas and LaLiga are being interpreted as a capitulation to China's communist regime, which had decided to stop broadcasting the competition's matches on its public television channels. This broadcast agreement, signed years ago between the two parties and which sometimes forces matches to be played at times that are inconvenient for both Spanish fans and the players themselves, brings significant benefits to LaLiga, primarily in commercial terms.

This crisis arose after Mbappé reacted to a photoshopped image that went viral online, in which his face is superimposed on a picture of Mao, whom he describes as a "Chinese dictator." The French soccer player, who finished second in the race for the Ballon d'Or, had to apologize after several brands with which he has commercial ties terminated those agreements and after authorities of the communist regime publicly expressed their disapproval and displeasure with his behavior.