"Get good lawyers": former China coach's warning to Mbappé

Former China coach Camacho warns Mbappé to hire lawyers after his Mao Zedong joke sparked a boycott, drawing on his own experience of sudden dismissal by Chinese authorities.

Kylian Mbappé faces fallout in China after a video showed him joking about Mao Zedong as a "dictator". Despite his apologies, he has been boycotted by major Chinese companies, and La Liga and Real Madrid distanced themselves from him. His next league match with Real Madrid was pulled from Chinese broadcast schedules.

José Antonio Camacho, who managed China's national team from 2011 to 2013, said the backlash does not surprise him. He warned Mbappé and Real Madrid to hire "good lawyers", citing his own experience: Chinese authorities suddenly terminated his contract a week after extending it, then refused to pay his return ticket. The Chinese Football Federation later suggested he sue them, and FIFA ultimately backed his claim for compensation.

Camacho believes China's harsh response may be a negotiation tactic aimed at reducing broadcasting rights fees with La Liga. He suggested the sanctions could ease if China's interests shift, noting that while they have heavily invested in football marketing, their appetite for such exposure has diminished.