Kylian Mbappé's controversial comments about the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong continue to cause ripples, long after the incident itself. The French star keeps shining in a Real Madrid shirt, yet the echoes of the crisis still reverberate in China, where diplomatic and sporting manoeuvres are under way to contain the dispute and salvage the commercial ties between Beijing, the royal club and the Spanish league association.
On the pitch, the controversy barely touched Mbappé. He scored twice against both Racing Santander and AEK Athens, playing as if he had never been at the centre of a storm that provoked uproar across China.
Behind the scenes, the picture looks completely different. CCTV, China's official broadcaster, suspended its coverage of La Liga matches, leaving the Spanish league association in an awkward spot. League officials moved quickly to protect their commercial partnership with the Chinese market.
The stakes are enormous. La Liga's international broadcasting rights are worth around 900 million euros a year, and China is a vital market for Real Madrid, who count roughly 97 million supporters there.
Real Madrid wasted no time in issuing an apology to cool Chinese anger, especially once Mbappé became a lightning rod for criticism. His accounts on local social media platforms were banned, which suggests the French star could face a long road back to popularity in China.
China is still angry
Signs of de-escalation have started to emerge despite the lingering tension. China's ambassador to Spain, Yao Jing, revealed contacts with the Spanish league association, Real Madrid and other parties in remarks to the Spanish news agency on the sidelines of the Salamanca forum.
As reported by the French website "Foot Mercato", the ambassador said: "There are no negotiations, but rather an exchange of views based on mutual understanding. This unfortunate incident has provoked widespread resentment in China, which must now accept the current situation."
He expressed confidence that dialogue rooted in mutual respect could overcome the crisis, according to the Spanish agency.
Shi Tianyu, an official at the Chinese embassy in Spain, struck a more cautious note. He warned that settling the dispute would not happen quickly, insisting the matter needs time before the Chinese people can take in what happened.
"The matter needs time," he added. "The Chinese people need time to take all of this in. It is a thorny issue for them, and Real Madrid is a club that enjoys enormous popularity and a large fanbase in China."
So the key question remains. Will Real Madrid's huge popularity in China prove powerful enough to overcome Mbappé's comments, or will the crisis leave a lasting mark on the club's relationship with its fans in the Asian market?