Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga face long redemption road in China

Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid and La Liga have apologised for the French striker’s comments about Mao Zedong, but the damage to their reputation in China will not be easily or quickly repaired, experts say.The France captain, one of the best footballers on the planet, is at the centre of a controversy after a video emerged this week of him appearing to make fun of former leader Mao.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Carrick stays on as Manchester United manager for crucial Chelsea matchlist 2 of 4Five major upsets in English football before Arsenal’s League Cup shocklist 3 of 4Club in crisis: What are Manchester United’s top five problems?list 4 of 4Can Carrick survive Man United’s slump and Fernandes fallout?end of listMbappe talked about being amused by an internet meme of his face digitally altered onto “some guy, think he’s a Chinese dictator”.Mao remains officially revered as the hero of the communist revolution and founder of the People’s Republic of China.He is blamed by historians for millions of deaths, but publicly mocking him is taboo, and Mbappe’s remarks saw him become the latest foreign sports figure or entity to infuriate Beijing.Leading Chinese brands cut ti...