Beijing: Soccer star Kylian Mbappe apologized for comments in which he apparently referred to Mao Zedong, the founding leader of Communist China, as a dictator, after facing backlash and losing brand deals with three different Chinese companies.
"My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China and in Chinese communities around the world," he said in a statement Tuesday. "I apologize to everyone my words have upset. This was absolutely not my intention. I have deep respect for the Chinese people and their history, and I am sincerely sorry."
