The French superstar's comments about Mao Zedong have drawn the ire of China, a lucrative market for sports teams. Real Madrid issued a formal apology to China after CCTV demanded one, reversing its initial defense of Kylian Mbappe's freedom of expression. Real Madrid apologised to China on Wednesday for Kylian Mbappe's comments poking fun at Mao Zedong, after the star striker's remarks sparked a social media storm and saw Spanish football yanked.