A warning from someone who has been there
José Antonio Camacho knows how Chinese football handles a crisis. The Spaniard coached the national team between 2011 and 2013, and he isn’t surprised by the fallout from Kylian Mbappé’s remarks about Mao Zedong. Speaking on the Spanish radio show El Partidazo de COPE, as reported by RMC Sport, he advised Mbappé and Real Madrid to surround themselves with good lawyers.
The row began with a video released on Tuesday in which Mbappé described the former leader as a dictator. Despite his apology, several major companies have dropped him, LaLiga and Real Madrid have distanced themselves, and Real’s next league game has been pulled from Chinese screens. Beijing has said it takes the apology seriously.
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How Camacho says it works
Camacho says nobody handed him a list of banned subjects. Senior officials simply told him, again and again, that foreigners must adapt to their rules and methods. In his words, they see themselves as masters of the world in every respect.
His own departure is the example he gives. After a 5-1 defeat to Thailand in June 2013, he says he was told his contract had been extended, and a week later he was dismissed and not even offered a flight home. The Chinese federation then suggested he sue, he says, because it could not admit the firing and pay compensation directly. FIFA backed his claim and he was eventually paid.
The 71-year-old, a former Real Madrid player and coach, reads the current sanctions as a possible bargaining move. He expects China to negotiate, perhaps with LaLiga, to cut broadcast rights fees. Beijing wants things done fast, he argues, and walks away if it loses interest.
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