José Mourinho said Real Madrid had done its part after Kylian Mbappé apologized for remarks about a meme depicting Mao Zedong. He praised the response as responsible and “true class,” but warned that “often the best thing you can do is keep your mouth shut.” His distinction was important: the club considered its involvement over, while repercussions in China were still being reported.
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What Mourinho said about the controversy
Speaking on October 31 ahead of Real Madrid’s La Liga match at Racing Santander, Mourinho said the club and player had responded promptly. He described causing offence as one of “the dangers of today’s world” and backed Mbappé’s apology as a responsible response.
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Mourinho’s view that the matter was closed applied to Real Madrid’s part in it: the club and player had apologized, and he said the club had done what was required. It did not mean that all consequences had ended.
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How the meme remark led to an apology
The controversy began with a clip from the French show The Bridge. Mbappé was asked which online meme of himself made him laugh; reports described the image as his face superimposed on Mao Zedong. In the clip, he referred to the figure as a “Chinese dictator”—a description of the person in the meme, not a nickname for Mbappé.
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On October 27, Mbappé apologized in French, Chinese and English. He said his comment was “ill-judged,” acknowledged that it had hurt people in China and Chinese communities around the world, and apologized to those upset by his words.
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Real Madrid and La Liga also apologized. The Chinese foreign ministry said it took Mbappé’s apology seriously, but that did not immediately end the reported fallout.
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Why the repercussions continued
Chinese state television did not air the first La Liga matches after the controversy, despite the apologies. A separate report said the streaming service Migu would not show Real Madrid’s November 1 match at Racing Santander.
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Commercial consequences were also reported: companies including Mengniu and Dongpeng ended partnerships with Mbappé, according to reporting on the backlash. The available reports establish that broadcast and commercial repercussions continued after the apologies, but do not show that the apologies alone would reverse those decisions.
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The central distinction in Mourinho’s comments was therefore between the club’s response and the wider reaction. He said Real Madrid had fulfilled its responsibility; the reports from China showed that the controversy’s consequences were still playing out.