French football star, Kylian Mbappe, has taken legal action against his former club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), accusing them of “moral harassment.”
The Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday that an investigation has been launched following a complaint filed by the 26-year-old striker.
Mbappe, now with Real Madrid, is also demanding payment of €55 million (about $64.4 million) in unpaid wages and bonuses from the French club. The amount reportedly includes loyalty bonuses PSG allegedly failed to pay before his departure last year.
According to reports, Mbappe’s latest grievance stems from how he was treated at the start of the 2023/24 season after refusing to extend his contract with PSG. He was barred from the club’s pre-season tour of Asia and made to train separately with players PSG intended to offload.
The French players’ union had previously criticised the club’s handling of similar contract standoffs, describing the practice as unfair and discriminatory.
Though Mbappe was later reintegrated into the first team after talks with PSG management, the relationship never fully recovered. He completed a free transfer to Real Madrid last summer, ending a seven-year spell in Paris.
Mbappe left the French champions after scoring a record 256 goals in 308 appearances. Ironically, PSG went on to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in history after his exit.
Mbappe’s complaint marks a new low in what has become a bitter fallout between one of football’s biggest stars and one of Europe’s richest clubs.
The legal faceoff is expected to generate intense interest across the football world, especially with PSG already under scrutiny over player treatment and contract practices.
