Jose Mourinho has declared Real Madrid's part in the Kylian Mbappe China controversy over, saying the striker and the club showed class by apologising swiftly — and warning that in today's world, sometimes the best thing a player can do is keep his mouth shut.
Speaking on Saturday ahead of Sunday's La Liga trip to Racing Santander, the Real Madrid head coach shut the story down in trademark fashion. Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga all apologised this week after the France captain, in a clip from the French show The Bridge, said the meme that made him laugh most showed his face photoshopped onto "some guy, I think he's a Chinese dictator" — an apparent reference to Mao Zedong.
What Mourinho Said
"I've seen a lot of responsibility from a club which, at this level, is a club of great class, and as far as we're concerned, that's it, we've done our part, there's nothing more for us to do," Mourinho told reporters, in comments reported by Reuters.
"These are the dangers of today's world, where many times the best thing you can do is not open your mouth. Because there is risk in so many things you say or comment on," he added. "Both Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe had the class to react immediately, and I feel, as manager, very well represented by both of them."
The clip, from a long-running joke about Mbappe's supposed influence at his clubs — the reason he is nicknamed "the dictator" in parts of the European press — has since been taken down. It did not land as a joke in China, where mocking Mao, the founding leader of modern China who governed from 1949 until his death in 1976, remains a serious taboo.
How the Row Escalated
The fallout moved far beyond social media. La Liga president Javier Tebas set up a crisis unit and met Chinese ambassador Yao Jing on Wednesday as Spanish football tried to contain the damage. State-owned broadcaster Migu is not showing Real Madrid's game at Racing Santander on Sunday, and Chinese brands including dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech, plus Eastroc Beverage, have ceased all cooperation with Mbappe.
China Daily said the remark had "triggered a backlash among his Chinese fans, threatened his lucrative commercial relationships and offered a sharp reminder of the limits of celebrity influence". AFP reported that Chinese state television pulled Spanish football from its schedules despite the apologies — which is precisely why Mourinho's "our part is over" line matters: Madrid can apologise, but they cannot control what happens next in Beijing.
Praise for Mbappe — and a Word for Kane
Mourinho also used the press conference to praise Mbappe's reaction to a difficult week, after the forward finished second behind Harry Kane in Monday's Ballon d'Or ceremony. "Kylian is very intelligent, very mature, with a very high level of self-esteem," he said. "In him I've only seen and felt class and respect."
The coach admitted Jude Bellingham finishing 11th in the voting left him with his "mouth open", implying the England midfielder should have placed far higher. But there was warmth for the winner, too. Mourinho worked with Kane at Tottenham between 2019 and 2021. "I had the privilege of working with Harry, he's a great player and a great professional and a great person," he said. "I'm very happy for Harry, a player and a boy who deserves it."
So What Does It Mean?
On the pitch, the timing is awkward. Real Madrid sit third in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid, and travel to Santander on Sunday without their match being shown in one of their biggest overseas markets. Mourinho's job now is to get the conversation back to football — and a win at El Sardinero is the fastest way to do it.
Off the pitch, the lesson is bigger than one meme. Mbappe's commercial deals in China have already gone, the broadcast blackout is real, and no apology has yet reversed either. Mourinho is right that Madrid have done what a club can do — the rest is diplomacy, and diplomacy does not run to a football calendar.
Beyond the Final Whistle: Mourinho's verdict is pure Mourinho — defend your player, praise your club, close the file and dare anyone to reopen it. But declaring a controversy over is not the same as it being over. While Chinese television stays dark and sponsors stay away, this story is not finished, whatever the Bernabeu says. The smartest line of the day was also the truest: in the modern game, silence really can be the safest tactic.
Do you think Mourinho is right to close the matter, or should Mbappe do more to repair the damage in China? Let us know in the comments.
