Brighton Issue Apology To China After Controversial Social Media Post

Brighton & Hove Albion have issued an apology to China after a club social media post triggered what observers have described as a “huge PR crisis”.

The controversy erupted when an image posted on X showed an academy player posing with Kaoru Mitoma while holding cards that featured a figure resembling a member of the former Imperial Japanese Army.

The post gained significant traction after being shared on the Chinese platform Weibo by an account with around 10 million followers and widely followed by Premier League supporters in East Asia. Given the Imperial Japanese Army’s brutal history in China during WWII, the imagery sparked anger among users.

In response, the club moved quickly to issue an apology directed at fans across China, stressing the post was not intended to cause upset.

A club statement said: “The club sincerely apologises for any offence caused in China by a recent post about our Academy’s participation in the Christmas Truce Cup."

“We hugely value our fans in China and had no intention of causing any offence.”

_{Featured Image Credit: Pixabay / jorono}