La Liga president Javier Tebas says he is prepared to travel to China to help address the fallout from comments made by Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe.
Tebas said he had offered to visit the country from the outset of the dispute and would still consider making the trip if necessary.
“I will consider travelling to China if it is necessary. I offered from the first day to go there,” Tebas said while attending the World in Progress forum in Barcelona, according to Catalan newspaper Sport.
He also insisted that La Liga’s relationship with China remained strong despite the controversy.
“We have exceptional relations. The Chinese vice-president recently visited us in Barcelona and also visited the club’s facilities. There are very good relations with China,” he added.
Tebas disagrees with Mbappe penalty decision
Tebas also criticised the decision to award Real Madrid a penalty during their meeting with Racing Santander.
Mbappe was given the spot-kick in the 10th minute after a challenge involving Racing Santander defender Matteo Prati inside the penalty area. The referee, Jose Luis Munuera Montero, awarded the penalty, but the decision prompted significant criticism.
Tebas said he believed the decision was incorrect, adding his view to the criticism directed at Munuera Montero. The controversy was heightened by the fact that the referee was not asked to review the incident on the pitch by the video assistant referee.
Real Madrid won the match 3-0. Mbappe converted the penalty to open the scoring, Jude Bellingham added a second goal and Yan Diomande completed the victory.
Broadcast restrictions remain in place
The comments come as the dispute between Mbappe and China continues despite a series of apologies.
The Real Madrid forward had faced widespread anger after discussing a satirical image showing his face superimposed on the body of Mao Zedong, the former Chinese leader. During the interview, Mbappe described Mao as a Chinese dictator.
The reaction led Mbappe to apologise. La Liga subsequently issued a formal apology to the Chinese people, while Real Madrid released a statement expressing regret in an effort to contain the situation.
Those apologies have not yet resulted in the return of Real Madrid matches to Chinese broadcasts. The Spanish news agency reported that the club’s games were still absent from Chinese state television channels and the Migu platform, which did not show the recent match against Racing Santander.
The dispute has also affected commercial relationships. Chinese companies have ended their partnerships with Mbappe, creating further concern for the player and La Liga in an important market for Spanish football.
