Real Madrid apologise to Chinese fans on behalf of defender after sharing racist memes

Madrid – Real Madrid have issued a public apology to their Chinese supporters after 20-year-old defender Dean Huijsen circulated racist memes on social media at the weekend. The posts, which were re-shared by the Dutch youth international, included an image of a Chinese man captioned “Even the Chinese call him Chinese” and “You could blindfold him with dental floss”, igniting fierce criticism across Chinese and wider Asian online communities.

In a statement published Monday on the club’s official Weibo account – China’s largest social-media platform – Los Blancos expressed regret on Huijsen’s behalf. “I sincerely apologise to my Chinese friends. I previously forwarded content that included offensive messages unintentionally. It was entirely unintentional, and I regret any distress caused,” the message read, according to Spanish daily Diario AS.

As of Tuesday, neither Real Madrid nor Huijsen had duplicated the apology on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or any other global channel, and the player has maintained silence on his personal accounts. The episode marks the second time in two years that the 14-time European champions have had to smooth relations with China; in 2024 the club were compelled to apologise after a supporter impersonated Chinese fans, prompting direct contact from the Chinese embassy.

The controversy lands at an especially delicate moment for the Spanish giants. Only days earlier the anti-racism protocol was triggered during their Champions League meeting with Benfica after alleged abuse directed at Vinícius Júnior. UEFA have provisionally suspended Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni for the return leg; if found guilty, the Argentine faces a minimum ten-match ban. No timeline has been given for the conclusion of UEFA’s investigation.

Real Madrid, who have championed global anti-racism initiatives, now face renewed scrutiny over their handling of discriminatory behaviour involving their own personnel. With millions of followers across Asia, the club’s next steps – and whether Huijsen will break his own silence – will be watched closely both in China and beyond.