FLORENTINO PÉREZ DRAWS THE LINE: “WE WILL NOT SUSPEND MBAPPÉ. CHINA CAN DO WHAT IT WANTS.”
MADRID — In a defining moment of principle over profit, Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez has broken his silence on the Kylian Mbappé-China crisis — and he has chosen defiance.
Speaking with uncharacteristic bluntness, Pérez rejected Beijing’s reported demand that La Liga suspend Mbappé to have its broadcasts reinstated, framing the standoff not as a broadcasting dispute, but as a battle for the soul of European football.
> “We will not suspend Kylian. China can do what they want.”
According to sources close to the league, Chinese authorities had made it clear that a temporary or permanent suspension of the French forward would be the price for lifting the blackout on La Liga imposed by state broadcaster CCTV following Mbappé’s remarks about Mao Zedong.
Pérez refused to pay it.
“Integrity Is Not For Sale”
“The Chinese want La Liga to suspend Kylian Mbappé temporarily or permanently so that La Liga can start broadcasting their games in China again. Fine,” Pérez said. “Over my time here as a professional businessman and the president of Real Madrid, I’ve witnessed significant situations that are worse than a meme joke, and the organisation still managed to handle it calmly.”
The financial stakes are enormous. La Liga stands to lose up to €100 million in revenue if the Chinese market goes dark. Real Madrid, whose commercial empire is deeply intertwined with Asia, would bleed alongside it.
Pérez acknowledged the cost — and dismissed it.
“La Liga can lose up to €100m in revenue if the Chinese stop watching. So will Real Madrid if we listen to these bullies and suspend a player who has done no wrong,” he said. “China might be the biggest market in the world right now, but we won’t sell our dignity and rights for money. There are things far more important than broadcasting rights. That is integrity and mutual respect.”