On the evening of the 27th, Mbappé made a statement on the X platform:
"In a recent interview, I responded to a picture in which I was the main character. My remarks were inappropriate, and now I realize that these words hurt many people in China and various Chinese communities around the world. I apologize to all those who have been harmed by my remarks. This was not my intention at all. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I sincerely regret what I said."
On the same day, the official Weibo account of the Spanish Primera Division released a statement:
The Spanish La Liga has expressed deep regret over the offense and hurt caused to Chinese fans by Kylian Mbappé's recent remarks. These remarks are the personal expression of the player, and do not represent the position of La Liga. As the governing body of the league, within the scope of our responsibilities, La Liga wishes to offer sincere apologies on behalf of the league and all its clubs to the Chinese fans.
Spanish football has always adhered to the principles of respect and harmonious coexistence, striving to bring people from different cultural backgrounds together. We always hold deep respect for China, all relevant institutions, and the Chinese people. We also value greatly the attention and support that millions of Chinese fans give us every week. We hereby reiterate that we will continue to cherish and maintain the deep relationships established with China over the years.
Currently, the Spanish football league is working together with Chinese partners and relevant institutions to properly handle this incident. In addition, we will collaborate with various clubs and players to establish and implement cultural awareness and communication norms, thereby promoting better understanding and respect for different cultures. We strive to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future.
Meanwhile, the official website of La Liga released a statement titled "La Liga and President Javier Tebas Apologize to Chinese Fans."
Tebas also issued a bilingual statement in Chinese and Spanish on the X platform, saying, "On behalf of LALIGA (Spanish League), I would like to express my sincere apologies to the Chinese people."
Tebas said, 'We cannot allow individual actions to damage this relationship, nor can we let more than 20 clubs in our professional competitions and millions of Chinese fans be adversely affected. We are taking measures within our capabilities and working directly with our partners and relevant parties in China to resolve the current situation.'
