FC Barcelona players conduct a training session on April 21, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: VCG

Spanish football club FC Barcelona apologized in an official statement on Sina Weibo in the early hours of Wednesday after an image showing young players holding a "flag of Taiwan" on a website linked to the club's youth academy triggered criticism among Chinese netizens.

"We appreciate your attention to this matter and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. The club is confident that the measures already taken will ensure such incidents do not recur in the future," the club said in a statement on Sina Weibo.

The controversy emerged after internet users discovered a promotional page related to the Barca Academy Asia-Pacific Cup that featured a group of young players raising a red-and-blue flag with a white sun emblem, a flag recognized by Taiwan authorities.

Screenshots of the image quickly spread across Chinese social media platforms, where many Chinese mainland users criticized the club for promoting symbols linked to Taiwan as a separate political entity.

Responding to the criticism, Barcelona released a statement stressing that the promotional page was operated by a third party, and that the image has since been removed and the club "maintains professionalism, respect and the highest standards in all communications and activities." 

The club said it launched an investigation immediately after learning of the incident and confirmed that the photo originated from the 2025 Barca Academy Asia-Pacific Cup, a youth event associated with the club's global academy program.

Barcelona added that the image had been removed quickly after the issue came to light, while the partner involved had begun internal procedures to strengthen content review and supervision.

"The partner has initiated internal processes to enhance content control and monitoring procedures to prevent similar incidents from happening again," the club said.

The club also sought to clarify that Barca Academy, an international training initiative designed to promote the club's football philosophy worldwide, is separate from La Masia, Barcelona's official youth development system that produces professional players.

Despite the explanation, many Chinese netizens questioned whether the club should bear greater responsibility for content published on platforms carrying the Barcelona brand.

Some users argued that attributing the mistake to a third-party operator amounted to shifting blame rather than acknowledging oversight failures.

"If the website uses the Barcelona name and logo, the club should supervise the content," one widely shared comment said on Weibo.

Others said international sports organizations should be more sensitive to political issues when engaging with Chinese audiences.

Discussions around the controversy continue online, with some Chinese netizens calling for the club to issue a parallel statement across its own social media platforms and asking what measures the club will take to prevent similar incidents in the future.