Dein Hauser apologized, saying it was unintentional, after reposting a racist meme targeting Chinese people. Real Madrid issued an apology on Weibo. Chinese netizens criticized the club for "double standards," while international social media remained silent.
On 25 February 2026, Dein Hauser, a rising defender for Real Madrid, reposted a movie review video that included screenshots of comments containing derogatory and racist remarks toward Asians, such as "Even Chinese call him Chinese" and "You could blindfold him with dental floss" (mocking the shape of the eyes). Although the post was quickly deleted, it sparked widespread criticism from fans worldwide.
Recently, Real Madrid issued an apology statement through their Weibo account (China's main social media platform), stating that the player "had no malicious intent" and that the act resulted from negligence, expressing regret over the incident.
However, backlash intensified as Chinese fans and netizens viewed the apology as "insincere" and "discriminatory" since both the player and club apologized only on the Chinese platform. There was no apology or clarification issued on global channels like Instagram or X, raising questions about the club's standards in handling racial discrimination issues.