Neither Kylian Mbappé nor his former club Paris Saint-Germain are ready to back down as their legal dispute reaches a new climax - with gigantic sums at stake.
Lawyers for both sides argued on Monday before an industrial court in Paris, each demanding hundreds of millions of euros from the other as they sought to settle a score over the end of the player's contract before his move to Real Madrid in the summer of 2024.
Amid accusations of bullying, betrayal and harassment surrounding the breakdown of their relationship, here's what you need to know about this $800 million case.
The origins of the dispute
Once a love story, the relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbappé decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024.
PSG says this deprived the club of a juicy transfer fee despite having offered him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new deal in 2022. He was sidelined 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 - talks that are now central to the dispute.
PSG feels betrayed
The club accuses Mbappé of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG says was meant to protect its financial stability.
PSG claims Mbappé 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 accuses him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty.
Mbappé feels cheated and wants his money
Mbappé's camp insists PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claim the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024. They are also seeking reclassification of his fixed-term contract into a permanent one, which would trigger compensation. Mbappé also accuses PSG of moral harassment, citing his treatment when sidelined. His total claim now exceeds 260 million euros, combining unpaid salary, contractual bonuses, severance, indemnities, and damages for workplace misconduct.
PSG wants more
The club rejects all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbappé took part in over 94% of matches in 2023-24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter.
PSG is seeking a total of 440 million euros in damages, including 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to complete Mbappé's transfer since he left as a free agent after he declined a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023.
Mbappé joined 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.
The club wants another 180 million euros for harm caused by what it considers disloyal conduct during contract negotiations. PSG is also claiming 60 million euros for breaches of good faith and proper contract performance. In addition, PSG is requesting 20 million euros for reputational and image damage.
What's next?
A decision by the court - the Conseil de prud'hommes de Paris - is expected on Dec. 16.
The ruling could have implications for player contracts and labor law in French soccer, although PSG insisted that Mbappé's request to reclassify his contract as a permanent one is without legal basis.
"Professional players' contracts are specific fixed-term agreements, governed by the sports code and approved by the French professional league, in accordance with French and European law," the club said.
Mbappé's advisers disagreed: "The reclassification of a fixed-term contract (CDD) into a permanent contract is a standard procedure under the Labor Code when the legal conditions for a CDD are not met," they said.
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