Paris
China drops Mbappé
A joke about a meme comparing him to Mao Zedong costs Kylian Mbappé three Chinese contracts and the broadcast of his matches on Tuesday.
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It all starts with a clip from the show The Bridge, which resurfaced this weekend. Kylian Mbappé is asked which meme about him made him laugh the most. He picks a montage that pastes his face onto Mao Zedong’s, “a Chinese dictator, I think”. In China, the line goes round in a few hours.
Three brands, one television
On Tuesday, three brands that used his image, Dongpeng (drinks), Mengniu (dairy) and Milkground (cheese), announce in identical terms that they are ending their contracts, “zero tolerance” for any remark that “hurts national feelings”. China Media Group, which oversees CCTV, suspends La Liga and pulls the adverts he appears in. La Liga “deeply regrets” the offence caused to Chinese fans.
Sorry in three languages
In the evening, the player sends AFP a statement in French, English and Mandarin. He speaks of “clumsy” words, says he is “sincerely sorry” and assures the Chinese people of his “deep respect”. Beijing notes that such remarks meet the “shared rejection” of Chinese society. One word on a set, three contracts lost. How much does a sentence weigh in Beijing?
