The French football star and his ex-club are at loggerheads over $60m in ‘unpaid’ wages. Al Jazeera explains why.
Two of football’s biggest names are locking horns in a pay dispute that could be about to turn into a courtroom drama.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and their former striker Kylian Mbappe, now with Real Madrid, are at loggerheads over unpaid wages prior to the France captain’s departure for the Spanish capital in July.
Al Jazeera Sport looks at how the relationship between the French champions and their all-time leading scorer has turned so sour and led to a standoff just shy of a court hearing.
Why are Mbappe and PSG locked in a dispute?
Mbappe claims PSG owes him $60.6m in wages which the Parisians say the striker agreed to waive in August 2023.
Why are the sums outstanding from Mbappe’s time in Paris?
The striker alleges he is owed the total sum following an unpaid signing bonus he was expecting to receive in February, the three final months of his salary, as well as an “ethical bonus” covering the period.
When did the dispute between PSG and Mbappe begin?
PSG and Mbappe first fell out last year when the forward refused to sign a contract extension and was frozen out of the team. He was later reinstated into the first-team squad after the parties arrived at an apparent resolution.
Media reports last year said Mbappe had agreed to forego loyalty bonuses if he left PSG on a free transfer. Then, in January, Mbappe said he made an agreement with PSG chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi which would “protect all parties and preserve the club’s serenity for the challenges ahead”.
The striker, as expected, left the club at the end of the 2023-24 season for Madrid as a free agent.
What is the latest in the saga?
Lawyers representing the two parties met early on Wednesday after Mbappe, who joined Madrid this summer, had referred his case to the French Football League’s (LFP) legal committee, which then offered to mediate.
What is Mbappe’s side saying?
Mbappe’s entourage said on Wednesday that they had refused the league’s offer to act as a mediator between the parties.
“The eventuality of a mediation was mentioned,” Mbappe’s entourage said in a statement. “This possibility was rejected during the meeting by the player’s representative. A mediation would be useless to establish a lack of payment that can be seen from a simple analysis of the player’s payslip.”
What are PSG saying?
PSG had welcomed the proposition of mediation. “Paris Saint-Germain is very pleased with today’s two-hour hearing before the commission,” the French club said. “The club recalled that the player has made clear repeated public and private commitments that must be respected, having been afforded unprecedented benefits by the club over seven fantastic years in Paris.
“In the light of the club’s oral and documented arguments, the commission insisted on mediation between the parties, which Paris Saint-Germain has been seeking for many months.
“The Commission has now invited the player to consider the mediation process.”
What is Mbappe’s history with PSG?
Mbappe, who was born in Paris, started his professional career with Monaco where he moved through the ranks from youth-team level. The forward joined PSG from Monaco for $132.5m in 2018 following a season-long loan the year before – the same year that he made his international debut for France, for whom he has since scored 48 goals in 86 appearances.
Mbappe won six French championships in his seven seasons with PSG, and was the league’s leading scorer with 27 goals – eight clear of his nearest rival – in the last campaign.