Heysen Apologizes for Sharing Offensive Content: “Sincere Apologies to My Chinese Friends”

Recently, Real Madrid defender Heysen sparked controversy after sharing offensive content targeting Chinese people on social media. On February 21, he reposted a Korean-language review of the film A Beautiful Mind, which included two clearly offensive comments: “Even Chinese people would think he looks like a Chinese” and “His eyes could be blocked with dental floss.”

After the incident surfaced, the China Real Madrid Fan Alliance stated that some fans reported Heysen’s personal social media content as disrespectful toward Chinese people. They promptly notified Real Madrid via email and called for official action.

Heysen later issued an apology on social media: “I sincerely apologize to my Chinese friends. I inadvertently shared a post containing offensive content, which was completely unintentional. I apologize for any distress this may have caused.” Notably, no apology has appeared on the official Real Madrid website, Twitter account, or Heysen’s own social media.

The incident comes in the context of a previous case during Real Madrid’s Champions League qualifier against Benfica, where Vinícius faced racial abuse. Real Madrid emphasized in a statement: “We will continue to work with all institutions to eliminate racism, violence, and hatred in sports and society.”