Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid reacts during the La Liga match between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou Stadium on October 25, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: VCG

The Sports and Youth Programming Center of the China Media Group (CMG) on Wednesday rejected Spanish club Real Madrid's reported response to the controversy surrounding forward Kylian Mbappé's erroneous remarks about China, and said the club must issue a formal public apology before further discussions can take place.

The center's spokesperson said the organization had noted the Spanish club's reported position, but rejected its explanation.

"Mbappé's out-of-line remarks have already hurt the Chinese people, crossed a red line and have gone beyond the scope of freedom of expression," the spokesperson said in the statement.

"Mbappé is a Real Madrid player, and the club cannot shirk its responsibility. Therefore, we do not accept Real Madrid's explanation that Mbappé 'never intended to offend' and its assertion that players have the right to express their personal views. We do not accept the club's attitude."

Real Madrid said in a response reported by Spanish outlet OK Diario on Tuesday that its relationships with Chinese sponsors remained unchanged and claimed that its commercial partners in China understood Mbappé's remarks as a personal expression without any intention to offend.

La Liga President Javier Tebas on Tuesday has publicly apologized to Chinese fans on behalf of the league and its clubs. Mbappé also issued an apology on Tuesday, acknowledging that his remarks had hurt people in China and Chinese communities worldwide.

However, Real Madrid has not made any official statement over the issue as of press time on Wednesday.

The center oversees China Central Television (CCTV) sports programming, including CCTV-5 and CCTV-5+, where La Liga matches have been broadcast under CMG's broadcasting agreement with the Spanish league.

Regarding the reported claim that the club's relationships with Chinese sponsors had not changed, the CMG center said it hopes Real Madrid will not indulge in "wishful thinking."

"We reiterate that words and actions that hurt the feelings of the Chinese people will naturally meet collective opposition from all sectors of Chinese society," the spokesperson said. "We hope Real Madrid will not indulge in wishful thinking. Until Real Madrid's apology is adequate, there is nothing further to discuss."

Mbappé's remarks have met with mounting commercial and broadcasting repercussions. 

Chinese companies Dongpeng Beverage, Mengniu and Milkground promptly announced the termination of their commercial cooperation with Mbappé. 

CCTV has also suspended broadcasts of La Liga matches and related content involving the French forward.

The latest dispute has renewed scrutiny of Real Madrid's handling of previous controversies involving China.

In February, Real Madrid published an apology on its Chinese social media account, Weibo, on behalf of defender Dean Huijsen after he reposted social media content that Chinese users consider offensive toward Asian people. 

The apology prompted criticism from many Chinese fans who questioned why the club had not issued a corresponding statement on its international channels.

In August, the club also faced criticism over a social media post referring to victims of flooding in the Himalayas. The wording of the post triggered anger among Chinese fans due to the omission of China's name in the reference. The post was subsequently deleted without a public explanation.

The controversies have prompted questions over whether the club applies consistent standards when addressing incidents involving its players and its international audience.

Real Madrid has previously taken a much more public stance when its own players have faced discrimination. In May 2023, following racist abuse directed at Brazilian forward Vinícius Júnior, the club issued a statement condemning racism and calling for decisive action. It subsequently pursued legal action in cases involving abuse of the player.

The contrasting responses have added to calls from Chinese fans for Real Madrid to address the Mbappé incident directly, rather than leave the matter to the player and the league.