China’s public television broadcaster CCTV opted not to broadcast the La Liga match between Real Madrid and Santander on Sunday, November 1, despite the Spanish side’s 3-0 victory. Instead, CCTV5 showed the French Ligue 1 match between Strasbourg and Auxerre, while CCTV5+ aired a Women’s Under-17 World Cup game between North Korea and the United States.
None of the other matches from La Liga’s 11th round had been shown live in China at that point, breaking with the usual practice. The decision followed the renewed circulation of a video in which Kylian Mbappé joked about a meme portraying him as Mao Zedong and referred to the former Chinese leader as a “Chinese dictator.”
Three companies using Mbappé’s name and image ended their contracts with him on Tuesday, October 27. CCTV then announced the suspension of broadcasts of Spanish league matches. Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga subsequently apologized to the Chinese people, with Beijing saying it took the apologies seriously.
Before the match, Real Madrid coach José Mourinho said the controversy illustrated the risks of an era in which “sometimes the best thing to do is not to open your mouth.” He also said the matter was closed, although the broadcaster’s decision indicated that the dispute had not yet fully subsided.
Sources: Le Monde Sport.