La Liga president Javier Tebas has met with the Chinese ambassador to Spain to discuss the fallout from remarks made by Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and explore ways to protect relations between Spanish football and China.
Tebas disclosed that the meeting focused on finding solutions to move beyond the controversy and ensure that the incident does not affect the long-standing partnership between La Liga and Chinese football institutions.
He said the Spanish league had worked closely with Chinese authorities, broadcasters, football organisations and businesses in recent years to promote Spanish football in the country while contributing to the development of the Chinese game.
According to Tebas, the collaboration includes a strategic partnership with the Chinese Professional Football League, which runs until 2029, as well as agreements with China Media Group and other joint projects.
The La Liga chief stressed that the relationships had been built on mutual respect, trust and cooperation, adding that both sides should continue strengthening their ties.
“Our commitment is to keep working together to ensure that an individual incident does not undermine the significant progress achieved or affect the millions of Chinese fans who follow our competitions,” Tebas said.
He reaffirmed that China remained a strategic partner for La Liga and expressed the league’s desire to ensure its competitions continued reaching millions of supporters in the Asian country.
The meeting follows the controversy surrounding Mbappé’s recent remarks, which prompted public apologies from the player and Real Madrid.
