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12/16 07:00 CST Court rules PSG must pay more than $70M to Mbapp in dispute over unpaid wages Court rules PSG must pay more than $70M to Mbapp in dispute over unpaid wages By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer A Paris labor court has ruled Paris Saint-Germain must pay more than 60 million euros ($70 million) to Kylian Mbapp in a dispute over unpaid wages and bonuses linked to the end of his contract before his 2024 move to Real Madrid. Lawyers argued last month before the Conseil de prud'hommes de Paris in a judicial saga involving colossal sums. The court on Tuesday sided with the player amid accusations of betrayal and harassment surrounding the breakdown of his relationship with PSG. Mbapp's lawyers claimed PSG owed him more than 260 million euros ($305 million), and PSG was seeking 440 million euros from Mbapp, citing damages and a "loss of opportunity" after he left on a free transfer. The court's ruling can be appealed and is unlikely to end the dispute. Mbapp's representatives said the ruling "confirms that commitments must be honored. It restores a simple truth: Even in the professional football industry labor law applies to everyone." There was no immediate reaction from PSG. The relationship between the 2018 World Cup winner and the reigning European champion turned bitter when Mbapp decided in 2023 not to extend his contract, which was set to expire in summer 2024. 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 central to the dispute. The club accused Mbapp of backing out of an August 2023 agreement that allegedly included a pay reduction should he leave on a free transfer, an arrangement PSG said was meant to protect its financial stability. PSG claimed that Mbapp 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 accused him of violating contractual obligations and the principles of good faith and loyalty. Mbapp's camp insisted PSG has never produced evidence that the striker agreed to forego any payment. His lawyers claimed the club failed to pay wages and bonuses for April, May, and June 2024. "Mbapp scrupulously fulfilled his sporting and contractual obligations for seven years and right up to the final day," his advisers said on Tuesday. "He did everything possible to avoid litigation, even going so far as to withdraw a harassment complaint in a spirit of conciliation. In total, he had been seeking payment of his salaries and bonuses for more than 18 months." PSG rejected all accusations of harassment, highlighting that Mbapp took part in over 94% of matches in 2023--24 and always worked under conditions compliant with the Professional Football Charter. PSG was seeking a total of 440 million euros in damages, including 180 million euros for the lost opportunity to transfer Mbapp because he left as a free agent after declining a 300 million euros offer from Saudi club Al-Hilal in July 2023. Mbapp 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. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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