French Football Player Union Slams PSG for Mbappé’s Exclusion

Kylian Mbappé Sent to the « Loft »: UNFP Condemns Players’ Exclusion in Clubs

The « loft » practice has become widespread in Ligue 1 clubs, and it has raised strong objections from the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionnels (UNFP). The UNFP has released a statement reminding clubs of the rules and warning the PSG.

Here is the statement:

« And around a dozen employees at Paris Saint-Germain are affected, maybe even more if we include the first professional contracts! 187 players from Ligue 1 were, at some point or another, invited to visit a loft last season. 187 players from Ligue 1, including Kylian Mbappé, facing the same situation! For the respect of the signed contracts in France! For the UNFP, there is no difference. There never will be.

Since the lofts have been plaguing French football, the UNFP has consistently condemned this practice which, with the exclusion of the captain of the French national team, may – just may, because it takes courage to challenge PSG, Qatar, and the rest… – encourage sports and political authorities to finally take action on the matter. Unless we can prevent employees in France from exercising their professional activity with impunity.

However, it is useful for the UNFP to remind the executives that putting pressure on an employee – through deteriorating working conditions, for example – to force them to leave or accept the employer’s demands constitutes psychological harassment, which is strongly condemned by French law. The decision of the Chambre d’Appel de Reims in January 2020 confirms this.

So yes, the UNFP reserves the right to take any civil and criminal actions against clubs that behave in such a manner… »