By Luis Miguel Pascual
Paris, (EFE).- French football star Kylian Mbappé has escalated his ongoing financial battle with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), his former club, by freezing its bank accounts and threatening to block its participation in European competitions if the team does not pay him the over, approximately, 60 million dollars, he claims he’s owed.
Now with Real Madrid, Mbappé’s legal team announced Thursday that a French court has approved the provisional seizure of at least 60 million dollars from PSG’s account.
The sum is linked to unpaid bonuses and wages Mbappé says he was promised before leaving the club last season.
His lawyer and agent, Delphine Verheyden, stated that her client has waited long enough and is now launching a multi-pronged legal offensive, spanning labor, civil, and even criminal courts.
She accused PSG of not only violating labor laws but also attempting to damage Mbappé’s image through a smear campaign involving insulting messages targeting him and his family, which have now been brought before a French court.
At the heart of the dispute is an alleged verbal agreement between Mbappé and PSD President Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
The club argues that the star striker had agreed not to leave on a free transfer, and in exchange, would receive compensation.
PSG claims this informal agreement justifies their refusal to pay the over 60 million dollars.
Mbappé’s legal team firmly denies the validity of that deal, insisting it was never officially registered with the French football league, which is required for all valid player agreements under national sports law.
“It was merely a locker-room conversation,” said Thomas Clay, a civil law expert advising Mbappé.
“Under French sports law, if an agreement isn’t filed with the League, it doesn’t exist.”
Verheyden noted that sports arbitration bodies have already ruled in favor of Mbappé’s claims and dismissed PSG’s position as a legal fiction.
“Kylian is not afraid. The law is on our side,” she said, brushing off concerns about Al-Khelaifi’s influence within French soccer and UEFA.
In a bold move, Mbappé’s legal team has asked the French Football Federation (FFF) to notify UEFA that PSG is in breach of player payment regulations.
If UEFA agrees, the club could face sanctions, including suspension from European competitions like the Champions League as early as next season.
That scenario would be a major blow to PSG’s ambitions, especially as the team, under manager Luis Enrique, is currently performing well and positioning itself as a serious contender in Europe.
Despite a renewed emphasis on collective play and a reduced reliance on superstars, this legal fight is a reminder of the lingering fallout from Mbappé’s high-profile exit.
PSG has pushed back strongly, arguing the matter belongs strictly in labor court.
“We are prepared to present all the facts, evidence, and testimony that prove a valid agreement existed,” a club spokesperson told EFE.
The club insists that any decision outside that legal framework would be inappropriate and legally unsound.
Mbappé had previously acknowledged that he agreed to return to the team after being sidelined for refusing to extend his contract.
However, his lawyers now assert that the agreement was never formalized or filed, making it legally null.
The outcome of this legal confrontation could have wide-reaching implications for how clubs negotiate player exits, and for PSG, it may also determine whether they’ll be on the pitch for European glory next season. EFE
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