I believe many people, like me, are wondering what exactly Mbappé said that was so inappropriate. I have searched through domestic discussions and can hardly find the original remarks. A statement that wants to convince you it is offensive while refusing to let you see what was actually said—my only guess is that he said something that hit a nerve, a blunt truth. Otherwise, what reason is there not to release his original words?
Personally, I don’t particularly like Mbappé either. But personal preference should not override judgment of a player or a situation. The sharp questions in the comment sections cut straight to what we should really be thinking about.
First, we are not dogs that bite whichever direction the owner points. The biggest difference between dogs and people is that dogs do not distinguish right from wrong—they simply bark or bite at whoever their master tells them to. People, at least, are capable of thinking and telling right from wrong. I am glad that many netizens have not been completely swept away by emotion and are instead asking in the comments: what exactly did Mbappé say? It is like someone telling you that your neighbor insulted you, yet refusing to tell you when or what was said. The truth of the matter becomes questionable, and it carries a strong whiff of stirring up trouble.
To put it plainly, whether Mbappé is good or bad does not affect me, nor does it affect his ability to make money—he already has enough to retire on. But let’s stick to the facts. If we are neither the people involved nor even know the content of what was said, and we are still expected to follow someone’s emotional lead simply because it is labeled “inappropriate remarks,” then what do they take us for? Golden retrievers who bite on command, or Labradors who live only to eat? I don’t support Mbappé because I never liked him in the first place. I also don’t hate him, because there is no specific content that would give me reason to. More importantly, I am not the kind of person who barks and bites wherever someone points.
Second, Mbappé dared to speak so freely because our market has already been largely excluded from the mainstream of European football. There are so many players from around the world competing in European leagues—especially many Japanese players who are regulars at European clubs. How many players from the Chinese Super League are actually playing in Europe? We are nowhere to be seen at the World Cup, and we get beaten by everyone at the Asian Cup. Chinese football barely casts a shadow on the world stage. The so-called “overseas players” mostly sit on the bench for a few years before returning home to make money. There is little passion and little drive. The mockery is not essentially prejudice; it is that your weakness makes opponents look down on you from the bottom of their hearts.
At the same time, economic slowdown has reduced purchasing power, so international brands no longer depend on our market the way they once did. Around 2010, many people still bought Nike running shoes to play football—the Mercurial series was everywhere. I remember someone spending six hundred yuan on a pair and the rest of us envying him. Now you rarely see Nike boots on amateur pitches. So this is less an offhand arrogant remark and more a reflection of the fact that we have already been pushed out of the mainstream of world football. All respect ultimately comes from strength. If we had as many players starting in Europe as Japan does, would Mbappé still dare to speak so casually? If we could even qualify for the World Cup, would he still look down on us? A country with a quarter of the world’s population should not only qualify for the World Cup—winning it should be normal. What is abnormal is that we cannot even touch the ticket. Once again: the respect others hold for you in their hearts comes from recognition of your actual strength.
Finally, all slogans come from interests. This is also why some people attack one figure like Cai Kangyong while supporting the next one who plays the same role, and then get upset when those people are exposed. Think about it with your toes: if a foreigner who does not understand your culture keeps shouting slogans about being “far ahead,” do you really believe he loves this land? What I see is a monetization code. As long as they shout these “far ahead” lies online, they can convert them into real money from you. And yet the foolishness seems hereditary. The reason others look down on you is that you really are quite base. I remember some internet celebrity who kept claiming “we won big” online, then went abroad and dropped the act, looking down on those same fans from the bottom of his heart. You give real money to people who shout “far ahead”; when one turns out to be a fraud you curse him; then the next fraud comes along and you still give real money. What is that if not base?
People who truly love this land are not the ones whose mouths are full of “we won big.” Someone who will do anything for profit and has no bottom line is nothing but a petty person. Real love is action. Curry is currently the highest-valued athlete in the NBA at $652 million, yet he still does hands-on charity work every week. The African players known as “Uncle Mu” and Ruud van Nistelrooy have far more limited incomes, yet they still pour their hearts into their hometowns. None of them loudly proclaim their love for their country with words, but their actual actions show deep affection for the land beneath their feet. By contrast, those politicians who endlessly shout about winning and about love—what have they actually brought to this land? Poverty, corruption, and war.
I have always believed one sentence: poverty reveals one’s upbringing; wealth reveals one’s true nature. A truly good person does not keep everything on the lips, but practices love for the land under their feet through real action.