A Paris labor court ruled that must pay more than 60 million euros ($70 million) to in a dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses linked to the end of the France superstar’s contract in 2024.
Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud鈥檋ommes de Paris in a judicial fight involving colossal sums. On Tuesday, the court sided with Mbapp茅 amid accusations of betrayal and moral harassment that marked the breakdown of his relationship with PSG.
The award roughly corresponds to Mbapp茅’s initial claim of 55 million euros.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been 18 months indeed that Kylian Mbapp茅 has been asking for the same thing 鈥� the payment of his wages, his bonus, for the work he carried out,” Mbapp茅鈥檚 lawyer Delphine Verheyden said. “I鈥檓 sure he will be happy to close this chapter because it was very important for him to be paid for the work he did while playing for PSG.鈥�
In November, his lawyers claimed that PSG owed him more than 260 million euros, arguing that his fixed-term contract should be reclassified as a permanent one 鈥� a move rejected by the judges. Such a reclassification could have triggered compensation for unfair dismissal, unpaid wages, bonuses, and severance.
PSG sought 440 million euros from Mbapp茅, citing damages and a 鈥渓oss of opportunity鈥� after he left on a free transfer. The club said it respects the ruling and will comply with it, while reserving all rights to appeal.
鈥淧aris Saint-Germain has acted in good faith and honesty throughout, and we always will,鈥� PSG said. 鈥淭he club looks forward to the future based on collective unity and success; and we wish the player the best for the future.鈥�
Mbapp茅’s representatives said the ruling 鈥渃onfirms that commitments must be honored. It restores a simple truth: Even in the professional football industry labor law applies to everyone.鈥�
The relationship between the and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbapp茅 decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.
This deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a . He was from a preseason tour and forced to train with fringe players.
He missed the opening league game but returned to the lineup for a final season after discussions with the club 鈥� talks that are central to the dispute.
A lingering feud
The club accused Mbapp茅 of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG said was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claimed Mbapp茅 hid his decision not to extend his contract for nearly 11 months, from July 2022 to June 2023, preventing the club from arranging a transfer and causing major financial harm. It accused him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.
Mbapp茅鈥檚 camp insisted PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claimed the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024.
鈥淢bapp茅 scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day,鈥� his advisers said on Tuesday. 鈥淗e did everything possible to avoid litigation, even going so far as to withdraw a harassment complaint in a spirit of conciliation. In total, he had been seeking payment of his salaries and bonuses for more than 18 months.鈥�
PSG rejected all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbapp茅 took part in over 94% of matches in 2023鈥�24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter. The club鈥檚 claims included 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbapp茅, who left as a free agent after turning down a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.
Mbapp茅 joined PSG from Monaco for 180 million euros. He signed for Real Madrid in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League this year without him.
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