‘Best thing is keep your mouth shut’ – Mourinho on Mbappe-Mao row

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho stated that sometimes the best option is to "keep your mouth shut," addressing the backlash surrounding forward Kylian Mbappe's remarks about Mao Zedong. Speaking ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga match against Racing Santander, Mourinho noted the risks of causing offense in the modern world while praising Mbappe for acting responsibly by quickly apologizing.

Mbappe faced significant criticism and lost several Chinese brand partnerships after referring to a meme depicting Mao as a "Chinese dictator" during an appearance on the talk show The Bridge. The 27-year-old French forward subsequently issued a public statement apologizing for the ill-judged comments and recognizing the offense caused to Chinese communities.