Mbappe’s lawyer: Paris doesn’t have the style of a big club. It’s the first time that an employer has paid twice as much as his employee.

Hupu News, November 18, this Monday, at a labor arbitration committee hearing in Paris, Mbappe’s two lawyers, Delphine Verheiden and Frederic Casero, expressed strong dissatisfaction with Paris Saint-Germain’s request for compensation of 440 million euros from Mbappe. In an interview with L'Equipe, they also talked about related topics and situations.

In your opinion, how did today's hearing go? Are the tensions growing between you and PSG representatives?

The atmosphere was indeed tense, but not as bad as we had expected. We have enough time to clearly explain all the demands made by Mbappe. This is the key, because we hope that through a complete statement, the arbitration committee can fully understand the situation and make a fair judgment based on the law.

In addition, we are quite confident about the exceptions proposed by Paris Saint-Germain that greatly delay the process, because otherwise the court would not decide to combine procedural issues with substantive issues. We finally have a tribunal willing to hear this case. This is important.

We hope that the law will continue to be enforced, just as the French Professional Football League has done. We also hope that eventually the club will understand that under the French legal system the contract must be respected and the dues paid. We also hope this serves as a warning to PSG.

How does your client Mbappe view all this now?

You know Kylian (Mbappe). He is very hands-on about his football career. The case had a huge impact on him throughout the year. Even after he joined Real Madrid, he remained deeply affected for a long time. However, I believe he now has faith in his country's judicial system. He is calmly awaiting the verdict.

What is his purpose in doing this?

In order to prevent other players from suffering the same pressure and threats, let this be somewhat standardized.

Would anyone say that your argument is a bit frivolous?

No, this is not lightweight. I don't think so.

Let’s talk about the Mbappe situation again

All statements about mental harassment truly correspond to the pain suffered by the players. So are all the statements about his athletic ability. Obviously, after the stress he was put through, those circumstances really took a toll.

How did you feel when PSG's lawyers defended themselves, sometimes with a little vehemence - and so did you?

They are just performing their duties. And they've been repeating the same argument from the beginning. So they haven't changed at all. But this time, €440 million, and to be very honest, this is the first time in my 30-year career that I have seen an employer ask for almost double the amount of the employee's claim. This is completely astronomical and divorced from reality. But on substantive issues, I believe everyone understands the truth of the matter.

Will this take a long time?

No. A ruling will be made soon. As for the appeal, it will be slightly faster in Paris than elsewhere.

In any case, the players will not be retiring when the ruling is announced, contrary to the absolutely appalling predictions made by our colleagues, the lawyers at PSG.

On the substantive issue, PSG's argument is based on a verbal agreement that allegedly existed between Bappe and club president Nasser. What is your rebuttal to this?

First of all, I have heard this claim many times, and the league has refuted it twice, pointing out that the club has provided absolutely no evidence for such a fanciful claim.

This is all based on private talks between the president and his players. In fact, no one else was present. But the wonderful thing is that we are a country ruled by law. In a country ruled by law, there are rules.

When both parties reach an agreement to amend the labor contract, it must be put in writing and must be approved. So, from the outset, the parallel story that is being told to us is untenable, because even if—and I emphasize even—there was such an exchange between the two parties, as long as it has not been formalized and approved, it is invalid and does not exist.

Paris Saint-Germain is a great club with a full legal department and an army of lawyers before us today (Monday). Didn't any of them know that amendments needed to be drafted and approved? They lack big club flair, so this fabrication has to stop. The players are the biggest victims in this incident. He's just asking for his fair share. Just like any employee.

But is there also an image problem?

For the club, undoubtedly yes.

Isn’t it the same for Mbappe?

Which image problem? I don't think he went through this as an image issue. He goes through this as a matter of athletics.

To the public at large, the amounts requested by both parties seemed undignified. What do you think?

That's fine, but players' compensation is set by Paris Saint-Germain, and that's why the claim amount seems astronomical. So that just speaks to his value. And I want to ask you this: tomorrow, if you go to the Industrial Arbitration Commission to sue your employer, and the other party asks you to pay almost twice the amount of your claim. What would you think? Would you feel comfortable doing it?

You understand the symbolic meaning of this question. When someone can afford a Ferrari every day, without making a value judgment, does that look different in the public eye?

Yes, but we all understand the football economy. The sports performance economy generates huge amounts of money. The main players in this show are the athletes. Mbappe did not force anyone to pay these payments.

Secondly, the application of the provisions of the Labor Code mechanically leads to these figures, which are indeed high, but they are only the natural consequences of the initially freely agreed upon wages and bonuses.