France change rights deal after Mbappe protest
The French Football Federation (FFF) has announced that it will review its agreement on player image rights as soon as possible after the striker. Kylian Mbappe Refusal to participate in sponsored activities.
gave Paris Saint Germain Striker and his France The team-mates are due to stage a team photo and other sponsorship activities ahead of the 2022 World Cup at their Clairefontaine training base on Tuesday, but Mbappe said he would not be attending – a decision backed by senior squad players. did
– Stream on ESPN+: La Liga, Bundesliga, MLS, more (US)
Sources have told ESPN that Mbappe wants to have a say on French players being linked with sponsors while on international duty — he doesn’t want to endorse certain brands, including fast food chains and betting companies, that are part of the national team. are under contract.
“I have decided not to take part in the photo shoot after the French Federation refused to change the image rights agreement with the players,” Mbappe said in a statement.
“My representatives and I deeply regret that an agreement could not be reached before the World Cup, as requested.”
However, FFF president Noel Le Graet, a 45-minute meeting involving the players Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane And Mbappe and head coach Didier Decheamps were held ahead of training on Monday.
The players told Le Graet and Deschamps they stand in solidarity with Mbappe, sources told ESPN, and they also want to consult with the national team’s sponsors so they don’t clash with some of their own. The meeting ended with all parties agreeing that a change would be needed, with Mbappe now set to take part in Tuesday’s sponsor activities.
The FFF has since announced that they will review the image rights agreement as soon as possible.
It said in a statement: “Following positive exchanges between the team leaders, the federation president, the head coach and a member of the federation’s marketing department, the FFF is committed to revising the contract as soon as possible. Image rights connected to the players.”
“The Federation is pleased to be working on a new agreement.”
Mbappe previously took this stance with the FFF. In March, he refused to join his international teammates for sponsorship activities and asked federation president Le Graet to review the players’ image rights agreement.
In June, a meeting was held between Le Graet and Mbappe’s mother Faiza Lamari, accompanied by his lawyer Delphine Verheyden, where the matter was discussed. Mbappe’s family and their representatives left the meeting confident that the contract would be changed, but it did not materialize until after their protests on Monday.
France, who will begin the defense of their World Cup title in Qatar in November, play Nations League games in this week’s international break. Austria and on Thursday Denmark on Sunday.