Real Madrid activated loudspeakers in China. Following the controversial re-publishing of defender Dean Huisen’s Instagram account containing comments deemed offensive towards people of Asian descent, the club released a message of apology in the defender’s own words on social network Weibo.
“I would like to sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. I previously unintentionally forwarded content that contained an offensive message. It was completely unintentional and I regret any offense caused,” the Madrid club said in a statement published in Chinese on the platform in recent hours.
The controversy erupted this weekend. Huisen, a 20-year-old Dutch-Spanish player, republished an image that Chinese users called racist because it implied an Asian eye shape. A screenshot, now deleted from his account, showed a person of Asian descent next to two comments from Internet users: “Even the Chinese call him Chinese” and “You can blindfold him with dental floss.”
The note from Real Madrid was posted on their official profile on Weibo, a network mainly used in China. The publication has sparked a critical reaction among Chinese fans, who have questioned the scope of the apology and called for a public statement on international platforms and videos beyond a written statement.
This is not the first time the club has been involved in such an incident. In 2024, there was already controversy over a video of Real Madrid fans singing an allegedly vulgar song before the Champions League final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid, which the Chinese embassy in Spain described as “insulting to China, vulgar and of a bad nature”.
A diplomatic mission statement later said the club expressed its rejection of the fan’s “inappropriate behavior,” condemned “all forms of racism and xenophobia,” described the incident as an “isolated incident of an individual fan” that did not represent the club’s values, and reiterated its “gratitude and respect” for its Chinese fans.
