French football chief says Mbappe should be allowed to move on after apology

French Football Federation president Philippe Diallo has said Kylian Mbappe should be allowed to move on from a controversy over the France captain referring to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a dictator. Diallo said the France captain and Real Madrid forward has apologised and intended no offence, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters.

Al Jazeera reports that the remarks were made on a French podcast. Mbappe has apologised. The reports do not include the text of his apology or say when and where it was made.

Al Jazeera's opening paragraph is identical to the Reuters summary, which suggests shared agency copy. Most other details below rest on Al Jazeera alone.

The remarks

According to Al Jazeera, the remarks came in a video from a French podcast that has since been taken down. In it, Mbappe, 27, is heard discussing a meme in which his face was photoshopped onto that of "some guy". He adds: "I think he's a Chinese dictator."

These words do not name Mao. The reports do not explain how the image was identified as Mao, name the podcast, give the date of the remarks or say who removed the video.

Al Jazeera reports that fans have previously made memes placing Mbappe's face on images of military and political leaders, to suggest he influences decisions at his teams. He has been nicknamed "the dictator" in the European press.

Reaction in China and Spain

According to Al Jazeera, Chinese brands have ceased all cooperation with Mbappe. They include dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, and Eastroc Beverage. Chinese state-owned broadcaster Migu is not showing Real Madrid's match at Racing Santander on Sunday. The reports do not include statements from these companies or Migu explaining their decisions.

Real Madrid and La Liga have also apologised, Al Jazeera reports. The reports do not include the wording of those apologies. La Liga president Javier Tebas set up a crisis unit and met China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, on Wednesday. The reports do not describe what was discussed or the outcome.

What each side says

• Philippe Diallo: Ouest-France quoted him on Thursday as saying, according to Al Jazeera: "It is a controversy which, ultimately, should not, I hope, last because Kylian has very well explained the context in which this intervention took place. He has apologised," and "I believe we should now leave it at that so that he can continue his season in the best possible conditions."
• China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs: An unnamed spokesman said the government is taking Mbappe's apology "seriously", according to Al Jazeera. The reports do not give the full statement.
• China Daily: The Chinese state media outlet wrote that the remark "triggered a backlash among his Chinese fans, threatened his lucrative commercial relationships and offered a sharp reminder of the limits of celebrity influence", according to Al Jazeera.

The reports do not include any statement from Mbappe or his representatives beyond the apology.

Analysis

The episode shows how a brief remark by a global sports figure can quickly carry commercial and diplomatic weight. Diallo's call to move on and the Chinese Foreign Ministry's statement that it takes the apology seriously could point towards de-escalation. However, the reports do not show whether the sponsorship decisions or the broadcast measure are permanent. Much depends on details the reports do not include: the apology's wording, the content of La Liga's talks with China's ambassador, and the companies' own explanations. With most details resting on a single outlet, further independent reporting would help clarify how the situation develops.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.