Kylian Mbappe has filed a lawsuit against PSG. The French striker's side claims that his former club owes him 55 million Euros in salary. Meanwhile, PSG has strongly objected and appealed. The French team claims that this is the amount that would have been paid if Mbappe had stayed at the Parc des Princes. However, he moved to Real Madrid after his contract expired.
PSG argued that in the contract extension signed by both parties in 2023, the club included a "legal amendment" clause. At that time, Mbappe agreed to a contract until the summer of 2024, and whether to extend it until 2025 or not was up to him, not PSG.
PSG's appeal has now been accepted by the French Appeal Committee. The proceedings will be carried out by the French Professional Football (LFP).
Returning to the lawsuit between the two sides, last week, PSG was asked by the LFP to pay 55 million Euros. The LFP stated that the deadline for the Parisian capital team to pay was this Friday night (local time). Initially, the LFP wanted the two sides to reconcile, but Mbappe's side refused. After that, the LFP was forced to make a recommendation to PSG.
If the Parc des Princes team does not pay, the case will likely be resolved by a French labor court. PSG can appeal to two other bodies, the French Football Federation and the French Olympic Committee, before both sides go to court.
"With the mediation process rejected by the player, we are forced to rely on the contractual obligations between the two parties.
The club thought this was not really a dispute, everything would be brought to court in a transparent and legal manner. The contract was legally amended and the player also fully trusted it. Everything was fine until the player refused all commitments and left the team.
In principle, PSG has appealed against the LFP's opinion, but there are still certain limitations. The club's stance is very firm, not only that, it is also good-willed, honest and respectful of sporting values as well as fans.
Legally, the player has set out very clear principles, committing to respect the club both in public and private matters. In 7 years of playing at PSG, the player has received unprecedented benefits. If the player continues to pursue issues that damage the club's reputation, we are very sorry" - quoted from PSG's statement on the incident.
The incident began last summer when Mbappe informed PSG that he would not be staying until 2025 and would leave on a free transfer this summer. As soon as PSG learned of this, they put Mbappe up for sale and left him out of the squad for the tour of Japan and South Korea. By January this year, the 25-year-old striker said that the deal had been agreed by all parties.
PSG argue that when Mbappe signed a new contract in 2023, it was witnessed by sporting director Luis Campos and coach Luis Enrique. There are two scenarios. First, if Mbappe stays, he will leave the club for 180 million euros in the summer of 2024. The French superstar will receive 82 million euros for his loyalty.
Scenario 2, if Mbappe leaves the team in the summer of 2024 as a free agent, both parties will adjust to reduce the salary conditions for the 2023-2024 season. The amount to be paid will be based on the profit level committed by both parties under "clause number 1" (which is kept confidential). In other words, this is the case if Mbappe leaves as a free agent, he can only be paid a small salary so that the team can still receive a large amount, similar to the transfer fee if he is sold to another team.
Both scenarios would see PSG earn around €98 million in profits, well above the amount Mbappe is demanding. If they decide to take the case to court, PSG hopes to recover this huge sum.
