Both parties are claiming hundreds of millions of euros! Lawyers talk about Mbappe s Paris dispute case: big battle, long time

"L'Equipe" reported that labor lawyer Antoine Sapin interpreted the legal dispute between Mbappe and his former club Paris Saint-Germain.

Q: You attended the hearing held by the Paris Labor Arbitration Commission on Monday on the 700 million euro dispute between Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain. What are your views? ​

This is undoubtedly an extraordinary case, which may occur once in ten years. Regardless of the amount in dispute, Mbappe claimed 263 million euros from the arbitration committee, and Paris filed a counterclaim of 440 million euros. The lineup of lawyers on both sides was extremely rare. Each party sent four lawyers to participate. I have never seen such a battle in a labor arbitration case. The arbitration committee also attached great importance to it and allowed lawyers from both sides to debate for three hours.

Q: Is there any similar precedent to follow? ​

In terms of public attention and amount of money involved, the only comparable case is the case of "Jerome Kevier v. Société Générale".

Q: Paris Saint-Germain asked all lawyers to speak in turn, and Mbappé was defended by only two lawyers, Verheiden and Casero. What do you think of Paris' strategy? ​

This seems to be a deterrent strategy, intended to emphasize the importance of the case and put pressure on Mbappe, suggesting that his request for 260 million euros is too exaggerated. However, if Paris wanted to claim 180 million euros on the grounds of "lost transfer opportunities", it ignored the labor law's requirement that the agreement must be formalized through a contract or written document, such as a letter or email. Since players have the right to freely choose a new club, where does Paris' so-called "lost opportunity" start? Mbappe just fulfilled his contract.

Q: Paris claimed that Mbappe had not kept his promise. It was said that he had agreed to give up part of the payment before the contract expired. ​

The key point is that the two parties do not seem to have signed an addendum to the contract, or even a relevant written letter. Paris should have asked Mbappe to confirm in writing his promise to give up bonuses, but the club refused to pay based on only a verbal promise, which approximates a financial penalty and is prohibited under labor law. Moreover, Mbappe did work for the team from April to June 2024. Although his playing time was limited, he was still a member of the lineup. Regarding this issue in Paris, Mbappe is demanding 55 million euros in unpaid wages and bonuses, and the risk of losing the case is high. In contrast, Mbappe's appeal to reclassify the fixed-term contract as an indefinite-term contract has a lower chance of winning. As for the previous experience of being "hidden" for three weeks, the time was short and he subsequently returned to the lineup, so the impact may be limited.

Q: The arbitration committee is scheduled to announce its verdict on December 16. What are the possible outcomes? ​

The speed of this ruling is very fast, which is surprising considering the special nature of the case. The arbitration committee is composed of four judges and must form a majority opinion. However, if a 2-2 deadlock occurs, a "deadlock ruling" procedure will be initiated, with a professional judge serving as the adjudicator. However, in Paris, such procedures take an average of 15 months.

Q: What if the verdict is pronounced next month? ​

Both parties have the right to appeal to the Social Chamber of the Paris Court of Appeal, and the average hearing period is two years. This can then be appealed to the Social Chamber of the Supreme Court. The procedure in the case of Jerome Kevière can be used as a reference. After the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment of the Labor Arbitration Board, Kevière appealed to the Supreme Court, but it was rejected in 2021. Overall, the legal dispute between Mbappe and Paris is still far from coming to an end.

source:7m cn bóng đá