A manifestation of solidarity turned within hours into a sensitive diplomatic and image issue for the most successful club in the world. The state media of the People's Republic of China has taken an extremely harsh stance towards Real Madrid, accusing the Spanish club of using geographical and political terminology considered unacceptable and potentially harmful to Beijing's national sovereignty.
The minute of silence and the post that caused controversy
The spark was ignited at the Santiago Bernabéu during the minute's silence held before the league match. The Madrid club intended to pay tribute to the victims of the devastating floods and mudslides caused by the collapse of a glacier on the border between Nepal and the Gyirong region. At the same time, on its official English-language social media channels, the club published a message of condolences to the families of the victims of the floods that occurred in "Nepal and Tibet". It was this coordinated formula that caused the reaction of the Asian media and fans.
Accusations by Chinese state media
According to what the main Chinese state media, starting with the daily Global Times, Real Madrid would have made a serious mistake by placing a sovereign and independent state like Nepal with Tibet (officially called by Beijing the Xizang Autonomous Region) on the same administrative plane. For the authorities and government media, such a formulation risks feeding or indirectly legitimizing separatist narratives. State media have asked the club to publicly correct the formulation, using the official designations, namely “Xizang of China” or “Autonomous Region of China”, describing the episode as a violation of the diplomatic line that recognizes the principle of one China.
Comparison with rival clubs and situation
The debate on Chinese social media has been further fueled by comparisons with messages published by other major European clubs regarding the same tragedy. Clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain and Atlético Madrid have specified in their condolence messages the wording “Xizang Autonomous Region of China” or “China and Nepal”, avoiding any critical element. Despite the media storm and strong demands for an apology from local fan communities, the club led by Florentino Pérez has not immediately published official corrections, maintaining a discreet line while the issue continues to be discussed by international observers.
