Dean Huijsen of Real Madrid Photo: VCG

Real Madrid's Sina Weibo post citing defender Dean Huijsen's apology after his controversial Instagram repost, which included derogatory racial comments targeting Chinese and Asian people, has been met with significant backlash from Chinese fans, who criticize it as insincere and indicative of double standards as there were no parallel statements on the club's global platforms or from Huijsen himself.

"I sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. Previously, I inadvertently reposted a post containing offensive content, which was purely unintentional, and I apologize for the distress caused," the statement citing Huijsen reads.

The incident unfolded late on Saturday when Huijsen, a 20-year-old Dutch-Spanish player with over 5.2 million Instagram followers, reposted the film review of an Asian movie.

The post's accompanying image featured malicious screenshots from a comment section, including phrases like "Even Chinese call him Chinese" and "You could blindfold him with dental floss." The latter remark is widely seen in Western contexts as a derogatory slur mocking Asian eye shapes, specifically targeting Chinese or East Asian physical features.

Huijsen deleted the repost shortly after it sparked outrage, but he did not initially issue a public apology on his personal accounts.

While Real Madrid's apology aimed to address the uproar, it has fueled further discontent among Chinese fans, who view it as insufficient and region-specific.

Posted exclusively on the club's Weibo account, a platform primarily used in China, the statement has not appeared on Huijsen's Instagram, Twitter, or the club's international channels.

This has led to accusations of a "China-only" response, with many labeling it as performative and insincere.

Comments under the Weibo post reflect widespread frustration: fans have demanded a global apology, questioning why the club acted swiftly to support players like Vinicius Junior against racism in the past but acted inadequately here.

"This is an example of double standards, Vinicius gets full club backing, but Chinese fans get a quick Weibo note?" a Weibo user commented.

Others echoed sentiments of betrayal, with posts calling Huijsen's actions "open discrimination" and criticizing Real Madrid for trying to "hide" the issue from international audiences.

Chinese netizens have also highlighted the intentional nature of the repost, noting that Instagram requires multiple confirmations to share content, undermining Huijsen's claim of an "unintentional mistake."

The backlash has extended beyond social media, with some fans calling for the club to enforce its zero-tolerance policy on racism more consistently.

A major Chinese Real Madrid fan group publicly stated they emailed the club demanding action and urging supporters to await an official response.

Huijsen, a rising star in Real Madrid's squad, has not commented further as of press time. The club has yet to respond to the inquiry to provide a further response.