Mbappé crisis escalates in China

The China Media Group have pulled the broadcast of Real Madrid's next match, with the Royal club set to visit Racing Santander on matchday 11 of the Spanish league.

Kylian Mbappé is at the centre of a storm in China. Criticism of the Real Madrid star erupted after a clip from the programme The Bridge went viral, showing the French forward joking about former Chinese leader Mao Zedong and branding him a "dictator".

According to the RMC Sport network, the rest of the La Liga fixtures remain on the broadcast schedule of the Migu platform, which handles sporting events in China.

One big question lingers. Will the boycott extend to every match Mbappé plays, including his games for France, whose next outing falls on 12 November?

As the picture takes shape, the criticism keeps coming. Mbappé is slowly vanishing from public life in China. Advertisements carrying his image have come down, his shirt has disappeared from the shelves and his social media accounts have been blocked.

Three major companies that had used his name and image went further, announcing an immediate end to their partnerships with him.

Beijing voiced its displeasure too, before later saying it was taking Mbappé's apology seriously.

That apology has not worked. So far, it has done nothing to calm the mood inside China.