Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho said on Saturday that the club and Kylian Mbappe had responded appropriately by apologizing for the France captain referring to former Chinese leader Mao Zedong as a dictator.

Real Madrid, Mbappe and La Liga apologized this week following the remarks, while league president Javier Tebas established a crisis unit and met Chinese ambassador Yao Jing on Wednesday as Spanish soccer sought to contain the fallout.

Chinese state media outlet China Daily said Mbappe’s remark had “triggered a backlash among his Chinese fans, threatened his lucrative commercial relationships and offered a sharp reminder of the limits of celebrity influence.”

China’s state-owned broadcaster Migu is not showing Real Madrid’s game at Racing Santander on Sunday, and Chinese brands including dairy companies Mengniu and Shanghai Milkground Food Tech plus Eastroc Beverage ceased all cooperation with Mbappe.

The backlash highlights the risks for athletes and brands in the lucrative Chinese market, where…