A surprising twist in the Mbappé–PSG legal war

Kylian Mbappé has decided to end his criminal complaint for moral harassment and attempted extortion against PSG, a case in which he was claiming €55 million (around $59 million) – just hours after facing his former club at the Club World Cup. According to L’Équipe, he is still pursuing his case before the labor tribunal.

Why is Mbappé changing his PSG complaint?

This aspect of the legal dispute between the player and the Parisian club had made their relationship almost unbearable. Mbappé insists he reached an agreement to leave PSG without receiving any compensation, something the club has consistently denied.

The case – involving €55 million ($59 million) – remains in the hands of the courts and will likely be decided by the Conseil de Prud’hommes, France’s labor court, which will rule in favor of one side. In April, Mbappé and his legal team announced they would pursue every possible legal, civil, and criminal avenue to try to win the case, which dates back to last year, when PSG allegedly failed to pay him bonuses and wages totaling €55 million.

Just a month ago, the Paris Sentence Enforcement Court lifted a provisional seizure order on PSG’s accounts, which had been requested by Mbappé’s lawyers. The court argued it was not competent to enforce such a sanction, and that a different judicial body should handle the matter. The complaint withdrawn by the player this Monday is separate from other ongoing legal actions against his former club.

The two sides have faced off in court repeatedly in recent months over the unpaid amount, which has fueled ongoing tensions since Mbappé’s departure for Madrid. The French league and various sporting justice bodies in the country have taken turns siding with one party or the other, depending on the appeals filed. The case had appeared to be at a standstill – but with this move, reported by L’Équipe, the friction between player and club appears to have cooled slightly.