China's state broadcaster continues to block La Liga matches following a controversial joke made by Kylian Mbappé regarding Mao Zedong.
China’s state broadcaster CCTV skipped a recent Real Madrid football match. This action follows a controversy involving star player Kylian Mbappé.
Next, the trouble started when Mbappé commented on a meme. He joked about a picture showing his face on a Chinese leader.
Also, the image resembled Mao Zedong. The Chinese public reacted with strong anger toward the football star.
Then, the China Media Group suspended all La Liga broadcasts. This decision occurred last Tuesday after the intense public backlash.
Meanwhile, several Chinese brands dropped Mbappé as a spokesperson. The broadcaster demanded official apologies from the player and his club.
After that, Mbappé issued a public statement. He admitted his remarks were ill-judged and hurt many people in China.
Still, the broadcaster has not resumed airing games. It acknowledged the apologies but remains silent on future broadcast plans.
Furthermore, the Chinese Communist Party views Mao as a central figure. His leadership history includes very violent and deadly periods.
However, this is not the first sports dispute for Beijing. It previously pulled NBA games after a team manager supported Hong Kong protesters.
Finally, Real Madrid played their match on Sunday without any coverage in China. The team won the game three to zero.