Milan, 27 Oct. (LaPresse) – At least three Chinese companies have terminated their partnerships with Kylian Mbappé following comments made by the French footballer, apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, whom he described as a dictator. Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy group Mengniu and cheese company Milkground have announced the end of their agreements with the captain of the French national team, stating that they oppose “any words or behaviour that hurt national sentiments”. The decision came after a video went viral on social media in which Mbappé, interviewed prior to appearing on the French online programme *The Bridge*, referenced a meme depicting a Chinese dictator. The footage then showed a doctored image of the footballer with his face superimposed over that of Mao. The social media platform RedNote also announced the removal of promotional material linked to the player. On Weibo, hashtags relating to the end of partnerships and the boycott of Mbappé have gone viral. The footballer’s representatives have not issued any immediate comments.
Football: three brands terminate deals with Mbappé following his comments on Mao
Milan, 27 Oct. (LaPresse) – At least three Chinese companies have terminated their partnerships with Kylian Mbappé following comments made by the French footballer, apparently referring to Mao Zedong, the founder of Communist China, whom he described as a dictator. Beverage manufacturer Dongpeng, dairy group Mengniu and cheese company Milkground have announced the end of their agreements with the captain of the French national team, stating that they oppose “any words or behaviour that hurt national sentiments”. The decision came after a video went viral on social media in which Mbappé, interviewed prior to appearing on the French online programme *The Bridge*, referenced a meme depicting a Chinese dictator. The footage then showed a doctored image of the footballer with his face superimposed over that of Mao. The social media platform RedNote also announced the removal of promotional material linked to the player. On Weibo, hashtags relating to the end of partnerships and the boycott of Mbappé have gone viral. The footballer’s representatives have not issued any immediate comments.