Real Madrid star finds unexpected ally in fight against former club over wage dispute | OneFootball

The ongoing dispute between Kylian Mbappe and his former club, Paris Saint-Germain, has taken another turn, with the French footballers’ union, UNFP, openly supporting the player in his legal battle over unpaid wages.

The disagreement revolves around €55.4 million, a sum that PSG has withheld despite Mbappe fulfilling his contractual obligations before leaving for Real Madrid.

The National Union of Professional Footballers (UNFP) has expressed strong disapproval of how the French Football Federation (FFF) has handled the case.

“Is the FFF, the supreme body of French football, aware of the bad message it is sending not only in this specific case but in general to all the stakeholders in our sport? Clearly not,” they said in a statement as reported by Mundo Deportivo.

The federation has decided to remain neutral, refusing to intervene and instead deferring the matter to the civil courts.

According to the UNFP, this stance only benefits PSG, allowing them to delay the outcome of the case for years while the legal process plays out.

Asking for tough actions

The player’s legal team had urged the FFF to take provisional action and order PSG to release the unpaid sum, but the federation refused.

The French footballers’ union has come in support of Mbappe. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

This decision has led to criticism from the UNFP, which believes that the FFF’s neutrality sends the wrong signal not only in this particular dispute but also to footballers and clubs across the country.

By failing to act, the federation indirectly “gives the club time to wait for the civil courts, which will rule in a few years in favour of the player,” it added.

Contract must be respected

Mbappe’s lawyers argue that PSG are obligated to pay the amount in full, as two separate rulings from the Professional Football League (LFP) have already ruled in favour of the player.

However, when the club continued to refuse, the case was escalated to the FFF, which chose not to intervene. With the federation stepping aside, the case is now being handled by a labour court, as PSG had requested.

The club, on the other hand, insists that the withheld money was part of a verbal agreement between Mbappe and club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.

According to PSG, the understanding was that Mbappe would not leave as a free agent without ensuring the club received some financial compensation.

However, the forward ultimately left as a free agent and signed with Real Madrid last summer when his contract expired.