Marine Tondelier says Mbappe stated ‘facts’ in Mao Zedong dispute

Kylian Mbappe has received public support from a senior French politician after comments about Mao Zedong triggered a backlash in China.

Marine Tondelier, general secretary of France’s Green party, defended the Real Madrid forward and captain of the France national team following remarks he made about a satirical image.

Mbappe had said one of his favourite memes was a manipulated picture showing his face superimposed on that of a “Chinese dictator”. Although he did not name the individual, the image was understood to refer clearly to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong.

The comments prompted a reaction in China, but Tondelier said Mbappe was right to describe Mao as a dictator.

“Kylian Mbappe was completely right to describe Mao Zedong as a dictator,” she wrote on her account on X.

“The tens of millions of victims for whom Mao is responsible, and the totalitarian nature of his regime, are facts confirmed by all historians.

“Therefore, Kylian Mbappe did not express an opinion; he stated facts.”

Tondelier also criticised what she described as China’s use of economic pressure in response to comments such as Mbappe’s.

“The systematic surrender to Chinese economic pressure is proof of weakness, and an admission that what we believe in is worth less than what we have to sell,” she added.

The dispute has had wider consequences for Mbappe, with some voices calling for a boycott of Real Madrid. Questions have also been raised about the club’s advertising agreements and its commercial relationship with the Chinese market.

Broadcasts of La Liga matches were cancelled on Chinese television as the controversy developed.

Real Madrid and Javier Tebas, president of La Liga, also apologised in an effort to protect their business relationships with China.

The issue has placed Mbappe at the centre of a dispute extending beyond his comments about the image, with the reaction involving the player, his club and Spanish football’s governing competition.