PARIS (AP) — The French league's appeals commission has upheld the decision ordering French champion Paris Saint-Germain to pay Kylian Mbappé 55 million euros ($60 million) in unpaid wages, the league said Friday.
The LFP's legal commission had ruled in favor of Mbappé last month but PSG insisted it did not owe him money and appealed. The two parties were heard again on Oct. 15 and the verdict remained unchanged.
“The club (PSG) must pay him the parts of his salary he is claiming,” the LFP told The Associated Press in an email. “This decision is not subject to (further) appeal, but can be raised before the executive committee of the FFF (French soccer Federation).”
PSG said Mbappé was showing “bad faith” and that it intends to contest the verdict, without specifying which avenues it would take.
Mbappé previously rejected a mediation offer by the commission in his dispute with PSG, saying the club owed him three months’ salary and the last third of a loyalty bonus.
He joined Real Madrid this summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years for PSG.
PSG argued that there was a verbal agreement when Mbappé was sidelined ahead of the 2023-24 season — following his decision not to extend his contract — with the player allegedly agreeing to relinquish bonuses in order to return into the team.
“PSG will be forced to bring the case before the competent courts while continuing, not withstanding repeated bad faith, to try to find an amicable solution with the player,” the club said, adding that Mbappé enjoyed “unprecedented benefits” during his time at the club.
“PSG will be forced to have the player’s bad faith judged by the competent courts if they player regrettably seeks to pursue this incomprehensively damaging dispute,” the club said. “Fundamentally, this is a question of good faith, honesty, upholding values and respect for the institution of Paris (Saint-Germain) and its fans.”
Mbappé’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes.
The France superstar has scored eight goals in 13 matches for Madrid ahead of Saturday's game against archrival Barcelona.
PSG felt let down by Mbappé after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.
But Mbappé was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappé was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 — with a player's option for an extra season.
Mbappé stunned PSG in June last year by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappé to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.
His PSG career could have ended in the summer of 2023 amid a tense transfer standoff. After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappé was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a 300 million euro move to Saudi team Al-Hilal.
PSG left Mbappé out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks. ___
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Jerome Pugmire, The Associated Press
