Mbappé has faced intense scrutiny after a video resurfaced in which he joked about a meme depicting him as a Chinese dictator. The backlash in China had commercial consequences, with sponsors ending partnerships and broadcasters suspending coverage of Spanish football.
The controversy also coincided with the forward missing out on the Ballon d'Or, adding to an already difficult period for the Real Madrid player.
Speaking on French radio station RMC's L'After Foot, Riolo praised Mbappé's response to the criticism, pointing to his performance and goal against Racing Santander despite the attention surrounding him.
“Mbappé demonstrates mental strength that is far above average,” Riolo said.
“Overcoming something like this – because it was no minor issue; it had political and diplomatic overtones, an enormous weight fell on him – and then, just a few days later, putting in a performance like the one he delivered, even if it was against a modest team, proves we are dealing with a truly strong individual.”
Riolo argued that the reaction to the China controversy was disproportionate and compared it with the earlier investigation in Sweden involving the forward, which was closed by prosecutors without a criminal act being established.
“What happened in Sweden was serious, but do you understand what is happening? People often say that everything surrounding Mbappé is irrational, but this story is approaching the extreme. It is madness,” he said.
The journalist went further by suggesting that the accumulation of incidents pointed to a concerted effort to damage the player's reputation.
“For all of this to rain down on Mbappé on the basis of a video that dates back months, with the violent reaction of a state (China) that quite simply decides not to broadcast the matches... It is completely irrational,” Riolo said.
He then questioned whether the idea of a campaign against the striker should be dismissed.
“Do people still believe there isn't a sort of conspiracy against him to bring him down?” he asked.
“Do you really think talking about a conspiracy is just a theory? The video that appeared three months later, Sweden... honestly, there are just too many coincidences.”
Riolo's comments were his own interpretation of the events, rather than evidence of a coordinated campaign. Mbappé has apologised for the remarks that caused offence in China, saying his comment was ill-judged and that he had not intended to hurt anyone.