Real Madrid published on the Chinese social network Weibo a message repeating the apologies of his defender Dean Huijsen after the controversy sparked by the sharing on Instagram content deemed racist against people of Asian origin according to Mundo Deportivo. The 20-year-old Dutch-Spanish player had reposted an image accompanied by offensive comments about the shape of Asian eyes, before deleting the post. In his statement, relayed by the club, Huijsen states: “I sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. I previously shared content with offensive messages without any intention. It was completely unintentional and I regret the discomfort caused.”.
This broadcast on Weibo, a platform widely used in China, however, sparked criticism from Chinese Internet users, who believe that a written apology is not enough and are calling for a public statement on international networks or a video message. The Madrid club is not its first controversy with the Chinese community: in 2024, a similar incident broke out after the broadcast of a song deemed insulting by a supporter before the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, provoking reproaches from the Chinese embassy in Spain.
