Sunday's Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester City will no longer be shown by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV following comments made by Gunners midfielder Mesut Ozil.
Ozil took to Twitter and Instagram on Friday with a post that was critical of China's treatment of its Uighur Muslim minority - whom he described as "warriors who resist persecution" - in the western province of Xinjiang.
China denies mistreatment of Uighurs and on Sunday state-run Chinese newspaper Global Times labelled Ozil's comments as "false" and said they had "disappointed Chinese fans and football governing authorities".
They also confirmed that Arsenal vs City had been subsequently pulled from China Central Television's broadcast schedule.
Instead, CCTV are set to broadcast a replay of the earlier contest between Wolves and Tottenham at Molineux.
"China's State-run CCTV removed @Arsenal's Sunday match against @ManCity from its broadcast schedule, after Arsenal star @MesutOzil1088 's false comments on Xinjiang disappointed Chinese fans and football governing authorities," the Global Times said on its Twitter account.
"Online broadcaster PPTV may also stop airing the game."
On Saturday, an Arsenal statement published on Chinese website Weibo stressed that the views expressed on social media were Ozil's own personal opinions.
"Arsenal is always apolitical as an organisation," the Gunners said.
"Following social media messages from Mesut Ozil on Friday, Arsenal Football Club must make it clear that these are Mesut's personal views."
