Ligue 1 head responds to LaLiga chief’s salvos at PSG, Mbappe

Paris, May 26 (EFE).- The chief executive of French professional soccer responded with indignation Thursday to accusations made LaLiga’s president after Kylian Mbappe rejected an offer from Real Madrid and renewed his contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

“We would like to express in the strongest terms our disapproval, but also our incomprehension, of your latest attacks against Ligue 1 and one of our clubs,” Vincent Labrune wrote in a letter to LaLiga’s Javier Tebas that was shared with the press.

“Today your disrespectful remarks seem to be directed at Kylian Mbappe, who is widely recognized as one of the best players in the world and who simply did not join your league, by choice, despite a similar offer,” Labrune continued.

In August 2021, PSG, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments, a subsidiary of the Qatari sovereign wealth fund, rejected a reported bid of better than $200 million from Real Madrid for the rights to Mbappe, but the superstar was widely tipped to join the Blancos on a free transfer when his current contract expired on June 30.

Late last week, however, French media reported that the Paris native had decided to remain with his hometown team, and by the time Mbappe and club boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi announced the contract renewal before the start of PSG’s match Saturday against Metz, Tebas had already sent a missive denouncing the deal.

Tebas said that LaLiga will file complaints against PSG with UEFA, French fiscal authorities and the European Union.

“PSG is assuming an impossible investment, seeing that it has an unacceptable wage bill and large financial losses in prior seasons. It is violating current UEFA and French economic control rules,” LaLiga said.

In his reply, Labrune noted that as a member of UEFA’s executive committee, Tebas had a role in formulating the Financial Fair Play rules that he accused PSG of flouting.

He went on to point out that two LaLiga clubs, Real Madrid and Barcelona, “have broken the world record (for transfer fees) six times” and that “Real Madrid currently has two of the highest-paid players in world football sat on their bench.” EFE lmpg/dr