Javier Tebas, the president of the Spanish league, has revealed his readiness to travel to China in order to contain the crisis that erupted over comments by Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. He also weighed in on the refereeing row that marred the Madrid side's match against Racing Santander, after the referee awarded the French forward a penalty that sparked widespread objections.
Speaking at the "World in Progress" forum in Barcelona, in comments reported by the Catalan newspaper Sport, Tebas declared himself ready to make the trip if the situation demands it. "I will consider travelling to China if it is necessary. I offered from the first day to go there," he said.
Relations with China remain strong, the La Liga chief insisted. "We have exceptional relations. The Chinese vice-president recently visited us in Barcelona, and she also visited the club's facilities, and there are very good relations with China."
Tebas comments on Mbappé's penalty
The refereeing controversy that overshadowed Real Madrid's clash with Racing Santander also drew Tebas in, after the referee pointed to the spot in the tenth minute when Mbappé collided with home player Mateo Prati inside the box.
In the president's eyes, the decision was wrong. His verdict adds a fresh voice to the criticism aimed at referee José Luis Munuera Montero, all the more so because VAR never called him over to review the incident despite the uproar it caused.
Real Madrid ran out 3-0 winners. Mbappé opened the scoring from the penalty, Jude Bellingham added the second and Yan Diomande completed the rout.
The China crisis continues despite the apologies
Tebas's intervention comes with the fallout from Mbappé's China crisis still raging. The player triggered widespread anger with his comments about a satirical image in which his face was superimposed on the body of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong, whom he branded a Chinese dictator during the interview.
That furious backlash forced the French forward into an apology. La Liga then issued an official apology to the Chinese people, and Real Madrid put out a similar statement, all in a bid to calm the storm.
So far, the apologies have failed to bring Real Madrid's matches back onto Chinese screens. The Spanish news agency confirmed the team remain absent from Chinese state television and the "Migu" platform, which did not broadcast the recent Racing clash, despite the contrition of player and club alike.
The damage has spread to the commercial front too. Chinese companies have cut ties with Mbappé, a development that threatens the interests of both the player and the league in a market that matters hugely to Spanish football.