PSG Ordered to Pay Mbappe €55 Million, Calls Player’s Claims "Bad Faith"
The Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) club has been instructed by the French league's appeals commission to pay forward Kylian Mbappe €55 million in unpaid wages after the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) legal commission previously ruled in favor of the French star last month. PSG, maintaining it did not owe the amount, appealed the decision, but the latest hearing on Oct. 15 upheld the original verdict.
The LFP communicated to the Associated Press, "(PSG) must pay him the parts of his salary he is claiming. This decision is not subject to (further) appeal, but can be raised before the executive committee of the FFF (French Football Federation).”
PSG, however, has voiced its disagreement, labeling Mbappe's demands as an act of “bad faith” and indicating that it may take the case to competent courts for further evaluation. The club also stated it would “continue…to try to find an amicable solution with the player."
The salary dispute dates back to an alleged verbal agreement. PSG contends that when Mbappe was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, he verbally agreed to forgo bonuses to rejoin the team. Mbappe, on the other hand, claims that PSG owes him three months' salary as well as the final portion of a loyalty bonus. He turned down a mediation offer from the commission and later joined Real Madrid on a free transfer, ending his PSG career with a club-record 256 goals scored over seven seasons.
In June last year, Mbappe informed PSG that he would not exercise his option for an additional year on his contract, leaving PSG with the possibility of losing him as a free agent in 2024. Following his announcement, PSG excluded Mbappe from a preseason tour in Japan and South Korea, later reintegrating him after discussions, despite rejecting a €300-million transfer offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal.
The legal dispute has drawn further focus to Mbappe's complicated relationship with PSG. The club was reportedly frustrated by Mbappe's decision not to extend his contract, feeling it had been let down after offering him PSG's most lucrative contract in 2022. Mbappe, however, felt the club did not deliver on promises to sign other key players. Despite the jersey he displayed at the time featuring “2025,” his contract was set to end in 2024 with an option for an extra season, a discrepancy reportedly causing additional frustration for Mbappe.
Now at Real Madrid, Mbappe has scored eight goals in 13 matches ahead of his highly anticipated “clasico” debut against Barcelona this weekend.
