Kylian Mbappe: Why star has said sorry to China and Chinese communities over alleged Mao Zedong comments, full La Liga statement, confirmed brands to have dropped Real Madrid and France football icon

Kylian Mbappe has apologised for hurting "many people in China and Chinese communities around the world". Real Madrid forward Mbappe said an "ill-judged" comment was "absolutely not my intention" following a reported backlash in the country over alleged remarks he made on YouTube show The Bridge, which is hosted by Blancos teammate Aurelien Tchouameni.

The top scorer in Spain last season issued a statement shortly after La Liga apologised to Chinese football fans on behalf of clubs, offered "respect" to China and said it is working on plans to build awareness of "different cultures". Chinese brands have dropped Mbappe over the reported remarks about "a Chinese dictator", followed by a meme of his face being superimposed on an image resembling late Chinese leader Mao Zedong, according to the BBC.

Kylian Mbappe: Full apology to people in China "During a recent interview, I reacted to an image featuring myself," said Mbappe. "My comment was ill-judged and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world.

I apologise to everyone my words have upset. That was absolutely not my intention.

I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history and I am sincerely sorry." What is Kylian Mbappe alleged to have said about China? In unverified clips online, Mbappe does not name Mao but says he uses the meme "all the time" with friends, adding that it "makes me laugh the most… there's a video of a guy, I think it's a Chinese dictator…" Chinese football forum Dongqiudi reportedly highlighted the interview, calling it "inappropriate" and liable to "hurt the feelings of Chinese people".

Mao is an icon of the Communist Party in China, where the internet and digital content are subject to strict state control and the former leader is one of the most closely regulated topics. Satire or jokes about the country's founding leader from 1949 until his death in 1976 are ⁠considered disrespectful and a social taboo.

The original video is not on The Bridge's YouTube channel and it is unclear when the episode first aired. Mbappe spoke in September about memes depicting him as a dictator.

"Part of it is funny because you get the sense that, for some people, it's all in good fun," he told L'Equipe. "There's also a less funny part because we know the damage these kinds of people have caused throughout history.

To be compared to people who murder others, or who have made millions and millions of people unhappy… I don't think I've ever done anything like that in my life."