Dan Dakich
ON THE RECORD · 6 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“If you're going to get in bed with Communist China, if you're going to get in bed with somebody that isn't as open and free thinking as we are and Europeans are, then you better shut your damn mouth. You know, you better just sit back, take your money, and quit screwing around.”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich criticized athletes who do business with China, saying they must stay silent to protect their financial interests.
“I don't think people fully understand soccer is, and how big soccer players like Mbappé are, all across the world. Mbappé, if you remember, one of the stars of the World Cup when he came to the USA,”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich discussed the global scale of soccer and Mbappé's prominence as a star player.
“But when you come at China, they react. This is going to cost Mbappé a ton of money. A ton. I mean, this is going to be something that he cannot recover from now. Does he care? Don't know. Should he care, don't know? I don't even a little bit.”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich predicted that Mbappé's comments about China will cost him a substantial amount of money.
“But I got to tell you, they always back down. Hell, you think LeBron James would practice his golf swing if he was in China listening to the Chinese anthem? Hell no. No, they're always back because it's big money.”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich argued that athletes always back down to China because of the large financial stakes involved.
“You can be political here in the United States because we enjoy freedoms that others don't,”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich contrasted the political freedoms athletes enjoy in the United States with China's intolerance for criticism.
“Mbappé has all kinds of commercials, all kinds of billboards, all kinds of business interests all over China, including anything from cheese to soft drinks ... you name it, he's got a huge, huge presence in China. Well, that's all being threatened to go away, because as you know based on what happened with Daryl Morey and others, China doesn't take kindly to any kind of slur.”
Dan Dakich · said date not stated · reported 2026-10-28
Dakich explained that Mbappé has extensive business interests in China that are now threatened by his comments.