La Liga president Javier Tebas said Monday he is maintaining dialogue with Chinese authorities in an effort to defuse a row over Kylian Mbappe’s comments about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
Chinese state broadcaster CCTV did not air a single La Liga match this weekend, while Real Madrid’s win at Racing Santander on Sunday was also not shown on pay television in the country.
In a clip from an interview with French show “The Bridge” which has since been taken down, Mbappe had said he was amused by an internet meme showing his face photoshopped onto “some guy, think he’s a Chinese dictator”, an apparent reference to Mao.
Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga apologised for the comment after a backlash in China, where mocking former leader Mao — blamed by historians for millions of deaths — is taboo.
“For now, we wait and see how the situation develops… because given how events have unfolded, everything depends on things calming down a bit, on all the mess easing,” Tebas told reporters at the World in Progress forum in Barcelona.
“There will be ongoing dialogue — I’m speaking with the Chinese authorities, both in Madrid and in Beijing, and we’re going to wait.”
Tebas, who held a meeting with Chinese ambassador to Spain Yao Jing last week, highlighted several strong links between China and Spanish football which could help resolve the dispute.
“We’ve had a strategy for several years now with the political and sporting authorities in China,” he explained.
Tebas met Chinese State Councillor Shen Yiqin and a high-ranking delegation at Barcelona’s La Masia youth academy facilities in February, along with Barcelona president Joan Laporta.
“With the president of China Media Group (the parent organisation of CCTV) we have a good agreement,” continued Tebas.
“He’s been to La Liga, I’ve met with him (Shen Haixiong). Every time I travel to Beijing I have a meeting with him.”
China effectively cut ties with the NBA for several years from 2019 after then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for Hong Kong protesters, but Tebas said he was “hopeful” of reverting the current situation.
“I’m going to travel, talk, and keep talking with the Chinese authorities,” he added.
“We’ll try everything possible to normalise the situation as much as we can.”
Mbappe scored on Sunday as Real Madrid beat Racing 3-0 in La Liga to move within three points of leaders Barcelona.
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