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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Sarah Rendell

Kylian Mbappe row deepens as French league president sends furious letter to La Liga boss Javier Tebas

AFP via Getty Images

The row surrounding Kylian Mbappe between European leagues has intensified as French Ligue 1 chairman Vincent Labrune sent a furious letter to La Liga president Javier Tebas.

Mbappe decided to remain at French club Paris Saint-Germain and turned down the opportunity to sign for Real Madrid as a free agent. In response, La Liga blasted Mbappe’s contract extension as “scandalous” and said his decision to remain at PSG put “sporting integrity at risk”.

Ligue 1 have now hit back with their chief Labrune writing to denounce their attack.

“We want to express in the strongest possible terms our disapproval, and also our incomprehension, of your latest attacks against Ligue 1 and one of our clubs,,” Labrune said in a letter to Tebas obtained by The Associated Press.

“The fact that you publicly and repeatedly take this position against Ligue 1 on this topic and denigrate our league and our clubs is both unacceptable and manifestly false.”

And in regards to La Liga’s comments on the financial elements of the deal, Labrune took aim at the Spanish league’s own difficulties.

He added: “Your attacks on Ligue 1 and one of our clubs Paris Saint-Germain and one of our players Kylian Mbappe are based around your own interpretation of financial unsustainability and competitive imbalance, which you repeatedly attribute to Ligue 1 and one of our clubs.”

Mbappe is understood to be the world’s best paid footballer in the deal he signed earlier this month. The forward is thought to be on wages of around £1m a week and had a signing on fee in the region of £100m.

The French international had spoken to Real Madrid before extending his contract in Paris.

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