Dean Huijsen Apologizes for Post that Offended Asians

JAKARTA - Real Madrid player Dean Huijsen has apologized on the club's Weibo account for sharing content on social media that offended Asians.

The 20-year-old defender has uploaded a picture of an Asian person that made Chinese users think it was racist because it offended the shape of the person's eyes.

The screenshot has since been deleted from the Real Madrid defender's account.

"I sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. I previously forwarded content containing offensive messages unintentionally."

"It was really unintentional. I regret the inconvenience caused," said the statement released in Mandarin on Weibo.

Weibo is one of the largest social media platforms in China, with more than 582 million monthly active users.

Neither Real Madrid nor Huijsen have released the statement on their other social media, sparking criticism from fans in China, who not only questioned the scope of the apology, but also demanded a global apology or video, instead of a written statement.

In 2024, a Real Madrid supporter uploaded a song that offended Chinese citizens. The song was described as insulting China, vulgar, and bad character by the Chinese Embassy in Spain.

The club, through diplomatic channels, condemned the video and stressed that it did not represent the club's values.

Huijsen's apology comes in the same week as the club awaits UEFA to conclude an investigation into allegations of racist abuse of Vinicius Junior by Benfica midfielder Gianluca Prestianni.