Real Madrid player Dean Huijsen issued an apology to Chinese people after reposting an image mocking an Asian person for the shape of his eyes. "I sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. I previously forwarded content that included offensive messages unintentionally. It was completely unintentional, and I regret the distress caused".
The already deleted post showed a person of Asian descent, and two comments from users that said that "even the Chinese call him Chinese" and "you could blindfold him with dental floss", according to EFE.
But the bigger problem comes with how the apology was sent. Huijsen sent his apology through Real Madrid's official account in Weibo, a popular social platform in China. However, the club did not post that apology on any other social media account or their website, which led to more criticism from China, feeling that the club intentionally reduced the scope of the apology to avoid criticism internationally.
As reported by EFE, this is not the first time that Real Madrid is involved in a racism controversy with China. In 2024, before the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, a fan chanted a song that was described as "insulting and vulgar" by the Chinese embassy in Spain, and the club sent a statement rejecting the "inappropriate conduct" from the fan.