- Chinese state broadcaster CCTV refrained from airing Real Madrid's 3-0 La Liga victory over Racing Santander on Sunday, despite Kylian Mbappé issuing a formal apology for making ill-judged remarks about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.
- The controversy began after the France captain joked on French television about a meme depicting his face superimposed onto Mao, triggering a significant public backlash in China and prompting several Chinese brands to drop their sponsorship deals with him.
- Broadcaster parent company China Media Group demanded apologies from Mbappé, Real Madrid and La Liga as an absolute prerequisite to resolving the issue, and whilst all three apologised, CMG has yet to confirm when broadcasts will resume.
- China's foreign ministry acknowledged the apology and stated it takes the matter seriously, while Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho defended Mbappé, praising both the player and the club for reacting immediately with great class.
- La Liga president Javier Tebas created a crisis management unit and held discussions with Chinese ambassador Yao Jing in an effort to contain the commercial fallout in one of European football's major Asian markets.
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