The three-year dispute between Kylian Mbappe and Paris St-Germain can now be considered over after French authorities rejected a complaint linked to the club’s treatment of the forward.

The case concerned actions by PSG during Mbappe’s final season in Paris which had been classified as psychological pressure. The decision brings an end to the legal proceedings, which intensified after the player referred the matter to the relevant authorities in May last year.

Mbappe played for PSG from 2017 to 2024. He is now the leader of Real Madrid’s attack, although he has yet to win a trophy with his new club.

Paris Saint-Germain have paid Portuguese club Braga €3.3m for priority rights over a potential future transfer for midfielder Mario Dorgeles, according to Foot Mercato.

The agreement came to light after Braga published its financial accounts. The payment was recorded as a “right of preferential choice”, giving PSG priority if the player is sold in the future.

However, the arrangement does not guarantee that Dorgeles will move to the Paris club. It means only that Paris Saint-Germain would have the first opportunity to negotiate a transfer should Braga decide to sell the midfielder.

Dorgeles joined Braga from Danish club Nordsjælland in the summer of 2025. During his first season in Portugal, he made 39 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing four assists.

The 3.3m euro payment gives PSG an advantageous position regarding any possible future deal, but Braga remain free to determine whether Dorgeles is sold. The agreement also does not confirm that the player will eventually join the French club.

Dorgeles had previously been linked with Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton.

Paris Saint-Germain have marked Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 45th birthday with a celebratory post on social media.

The former Sweden international made 180 official appearances for PSG during his career, scoring 156 goals and providing 62 assists.

Ibrahimovic played more matches for the French club than any other team he represented. His time in Paris also brought 12 trophies, including four Ligue 1 titles.

PSG currently sit sixth in the Ligue 1 table.

PSG have reacted on social media after Ukraine were beaten 3-0 by Northern Ireland in the Nations League.

The “yellow and blues” endured a disappointing match, losing by three goals without reply. PSG defender Illia Zabarnyi featured for the Ukraine national team in the fixture.

Despite the defeat, Ukraine remain second in their Nations League group after three rounds. They are level on four points with Hungary but sit above them because of the result in their head-to-head meeting.

Northern Ireland lead the group on seven points.

Marina Kondratyuk, the wife of Russia and PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, says the couple manage their finances jointly.

“We have all our money in common,” Kondratyuk said while discussing how finances are distributed within their family.

Safonov joined the Parisian club in the summer of 2024. His current contract with PSG runs until the end of June 2029.

The goalkeeper’s market value is estimated at 30 million euros.

Troyes are conducting an internal investigation into sporting director Jocelyn Blanchard after several employees reportedly accused him of sexual harassment.

Blanchard only joined the club in July and had only recently begun his role, according to reports.

The investigation was reported by derbyderbyderby.it, citing French daily newspaper L'Est Eclair.

Some of the alleged incidents were also witnessed by people in the hospitality area of Stade de l’Aube, the report says.

The claims concern alleged unlawful conduct, although no further details about the investigation have been made public.

Paris Saint-Germain and France winger Desire Doue says he should be finding the net more regularly.

The 21-year-old started France’s Nations League match against Italy, which ended 1-1, but was unable to score or provide an assist. France manager Zinedine Zidane substituted Doue in the 76th minute.

Doue’s most recent goal came in the opening match of the campaign, when Paris Saint-Germain beat Aston Villa 2-1 in the UEFA Super Cup. He has now gone nine matches without scoring.

Marina Safonova, the wife of PSG and Russia goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, says she would be prepared to sign a marriage contract if her husband proposed one.

She has no reservations about such an agreement and regards it as a form of legal protection for both partners. “Business is business,” she said.

The marriage is Safonov’s second. He was previously married to Anastasia, with whom he has a daughter.

Their divorce was difficult, and Safonov paid more than 60m roubles in alimony. His former wife also prevents him from seeing their child.

Christophe Galtier says he has no immediate plans to retire and remains open to returning to Ligue 1 while continuing his coaching career with Saudi Arabian club SC Neom.

The 59-year-old Frenchman told Le Parisien that France’s top flight remains close to him because it is the competition he knows best.

Galtier has won the Ligue 1 title twice. He led Lille to the championship in 2021 before repeating the achievement during his only season in charge of Paris Saint-Germain.

His previous clubs in France also include Saint-Etienne and Nice.

After leaving Paris Saint-Germain, Galtier moved to Qatar to manage Al-Duhail. He subsequently took charge of SC Neom and has made an impressive start in Saudi Arabia, winning five of the club’s seven Saudi Pro League matches this season.

Despite that success, Galtier has not ruled out another challenge in France. He also said he would consider opportunities elsewhere, while making clear that ending his managerial career is not currently under consideration.

“One thing is sure, I will still be a manager for at least the next three years,” he said.

Dino Toppmoller says he was “stunned” to leave RC Lens after managing the Ligue 1 side in only six competitive matches.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt manager departed by mutual consent last month, despite leading Lens to several notable results during his brief spell in charge.

Toppmoller guided Lens past Paris Saint-Germain in the Trophee des Champions and also oversaw a UEFA Champions League victory against Slavia Prague.

However, Lens won only one of the four Ligue 1 matches played under his management, leaving the club 10th in the table.

The club said his departure followed disagreements over its restructuring plans. Toppmoller and the Lens hierarchy were reported to have different views about the direction of the club.

Speaking on the Spielmacher von 360Media podcast, via L’Equipe, Toppmoller said the circumstances surrounding his dismissal had been particularly difficult.

“To find yourself confronted by the fact that, if your assistant remained an assistant, you yourself were sacked, was a blow,” he said.

Toppmoller described the end of his time at Lens as “a big disappointment and a shock”, while also saying he had been “stunned” by the decision.

He criticised Morgado, describing him as “too demanding, too loud, (and) in conflict with too many people.”

Olympique Lyon defender Moussa Niakhate has been sent back to his club after suffering an unspecified injury while on international duty with Senegal.

The Senegalese Football Federation confirmed on Thursday evening that the 30-year-old had been released from Patrick Vieira’s squad and would return to the Ligue 1 side for further assessment and treatment.

Niakhate underwent an MRI scan in Marseille on Monday, although no details about the nature or severity of the injury have been disclosed.

The decision to return him to Olympique Lyon was taken after the examination, with the centre-back now set to miss Senegal’s upcoming international fixture against Comoros on October 4.

Niakhate has been an important part of the French club’s team this season and has rarely been rested despite Olympique Lyon competing in multiple competitions.

He has made eight appearances across all competitions so far, including three in UEFA Champions League qualifiers.

The defender’s withdrawal is the latest change to Vieira’s squad during the international break, with Senegal now preparing for the meeting with Comoros without one of their regular defensive options.

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Senny Mayulu will miss several weeks after sustaining a left thigh injury while away with France U21s.

The 20-year-old was substituted shortly before half-time in Les Bleuets’ 2-0 win over Estonia earlier this week. France U21 coach Gerald Baticle initially said Mayulu had felt pain in his left thigh and that the change was precautionary.

The problem has since been confirmed as more serious than first thought.

PSG said on Thursday that their academy graduate had suffered a thigh injury and would receive treatment over the coming weeks.

Mayulu has found regular first-team opportunities limited with Les Parisiens this season. He has made four appearances in all competitions and has also been left out of several matchday squads.

Russia national team goalkeeping coach Vitaly Kafanov has given his assessment of the race for the Yashin Trophy, with the award for the best goalkeeper of the year due to be presented in London on 26 October.

There are 10 nominees for the prize, including Russia goalkeeper Matvey Safonov.

Kafanov said Safonov’s contribution to Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League success was significantly greater than Simon’s role in Spain’s 2026 World Cup victory.

He added that Spain’s defenders performed perfectly during the tournament, reducing the influence their goalkeeper had on the team’s success.

Former Lokomotiv president Nikolai Naumov does not expect Monaco attacking midfielder Aleksandr Golovin to return to the Russian Premier League in the near future.

Rumours of a possible move back to Russia circulated during the summer transfer window, but Naumov believes there is currently little reason for the player to change clubs.

Golovin is now beginning his ninth season with Monaco. The Russia international has made 273 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, scoring 40 goals and providing 48 assists.

Football’s history is marked by scandals involving bribery, match-fixing, illegal betting and attempts to evade financial regulations. Few have produced consequences as far-reaching as the case involving Manchester City, who were charged with 115 breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.

The club’s alleged use of sham sponsorship agreements and artificially inflated revenue followed a 2009 takeover by Abu Dhabi United Group, led by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The charges prompted renewed interest in how some of the sport’s most significant scandals were uncovered – and how the clubs and individuals involved were punished.

Calciopoli – Italy, 2004-06

The scandal centred on Juventus director Luciano Moggi, who was investigated after Italian authorities began examining possible doping by Juventus players.

Telephone conversations between Moggi, FIGC officials and refereeing board members revealed that he had sought particular referees for Juventus and other Serie A clubs. He was also accused of arranging payments connected to referees and influencing suspensions so opponents would be weakened against Juventus.

Investigators examined 19 matches from the 2004-05 Serie A season, including seven involving Juventus. The inquiry involved nine referees and 41 suspects, including club presidents and executives, referees, referee designators, assistant referees and senior FIGC officials.

Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina were also investigated. Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani was accused of requesting favourable assistant referees. Fiorentina owners Diego and Andrea Della Valle were investigated over attempts to influence officials to avoid relegation, while Lazio president Claudio Lotito was examined over efforts to secure favourable refereeing appointments. Arezzo, Reggina, Siena and Triestina were also among the clubs involved in the wider investigation.

Juventus received the most severe punishment in Italian football history. They were stripped of the 2005 and 2006 titles, relegated to Serie B, deducted nine points and fined €75,000. The club’s entire board resigned after the 2005-06 season, while Moggi and former chief executive Antonio Giraudo received lifetime bans from Italian football.

Fiorentina were initially relegated to Serie B, but won an appeal and remained in Serie A. They were excluded from the 2006-07 UEFA Champions League, began that Serie A season with a 15-point deduction and had to play two matches behind closed doors.

Lazio also had their relegation overturned on appeal. They were instead deducted three points and banned from the 2006-07 UEFA Cup. Milan were deducted eight points and had 30 points removed from their previous Serie A total, preventing them from qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Reggina were deducted 11 points, while no champion was officially assigned for the 2004-05 Serie A season.

Marseille and the Valenciennes bribe – 1993

A day before the Ligue 1 match between Olympique Marseille and Valenciennes on 20 May 1993, Marseille president Bernard Tapie and general manager Jean-Pierre Bernes instructed midfielder Jean-Jacques Eydelie to approach three Valenciennes players: Jorge Burruchaga, Jacques Glassmann and Christophe Robert.

The aim was for them to play below their level and avoid injuring Marseille players before the UEFA Champions League final against Milan on 26 May. Tapie told Eydelie: “It is imperative that you get in touch with your former Nantes team-mates at Valenciennes. We don't want them acting like idiots and breaking us before the final with Milan.”

Robert, Valenciennes’ captain, and Burruchaga accepted the bribes. Robert persuaded the team to deliberately lose, and Marseille won 1-0. Glassmann refused and reported the approach to referee Jean-Marie Veniel, who had noticed unusual incidents during the match, and Valenciennes manager Boro Primorac. He did not identify those involved at that stage.

French police searched the Marseille dressing room after the match. After Marseille won Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League final, Robert contacted the authorities and admitted his involvement. He had received F250,000 from Eydelie, equivalent to €63,404 in 2025. Eydelie was arrested alongside Bernes.

Olympique Marseille were stripped of the 1992/93 title and relegated to Ligue 2 in 1994 for the bribery and financial offences. The club filed for bankruptcy in 1995 and did not return to Ligue 1 until 1996, after three seasons in the second tier.

Tapie and Bernes were given lifetime bans from French football, although FIFA overturned Bernes’ ban in 1996. Tapie was sentenced to 26 months in prison for match-fixing and fraud and fined F20,000. Bernes received a two-year suspended sentence and a fine.

Eydelie was given a one-year suspended prison sentence and a two-year worldwide football ban. Burruchaga and Robert each received six-month suspended sentences, while Burruchaga was suspended from football for six months and Robert for one year. Glassmann received the 1995 FIFA Fair Play Award for exposing the attempted bribe.

West Ham, Tevez and Mascherano – 2006-07

West Ham’s signing of Argentine World Cup players Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from Corinthians attracted immediate attention. Chelsea had been close to signing Tevez, but the striker joined West Ham and was presented beside manager Alan Pardew at Upton Park.

The club increased the speculation by saying that “all other aspects of the transfer will remain confidential and undisclosed”. It later emerged that West Ham had breached Premier League rules relating to third-party ownership.

Agent Kia Joorabchian, who was also involved in advanced takeover discussions with West Ham, played a central role. His company MSI partly owned the players’ rights, while West Ham’s agreements with Tevez and Mascherano included undisclosed private arrangements with offshore companies linked to Joorabchian. Those agreements were not revealed when the players were registered.

Mascherano moved to Liverpool in January, but Tevez became central to West Ham’s successful fight against relegation. He scored seven goals in the club’s final 10 matches as they stayed up by three points.

Before the end of the season, West Ham – by then owned by Icelandic investor Eggert Magnusson – were found to have seriously misled the Premier League and broken two competition rules. On 28 April, the club avoided a points deduction but received a British-record fine of £5.5 million, a punishment that ultimately allowed them to remain in the Premier League.

Sheffield United finished 18th on goal difference and were relegated to the Championship. They challenged the decision at a tribunal but failed to have it overturned. The club later received £20 million in a court settlement after it was concluded that Tevez’s goals had made a decisive difference to the final league outcome.

Totonero – Italy, 1979-80

The Totonero scandal began when Roman restaurant owner Alvaro Trinca and his supplier, Massimo Cruciani, devised a plan involving Lazio players who visited the restaurant. They intended to fix matches and win money through Totocalcio, Italy’s state-run betting pool and the country’s only legal form of sports betting at the time.

Lazio players agreed to manipulate matches in return for a share of the winnings. However, the results went against Trinca and Cruciani, who had lost more than 100 million Italian lire by February 1980. They reported the scheme to Rome’s Public Prosecutor, alleging that 27 players and 13 Serie A and Serie B clubs were involved.

Milan and Lazio were relegated to Serie B after the 1979/80 season, while Milan president Felice Colombo was banned from Italian football. Avellino, Bologna and Perugia were each deducted five points for the 1980/81 Serie A season. Palermo and Taranto received the same deduction in Serie B.

Twenty players were given comprehensive football bans. Avellino’s Stefano Pellegrini received the longest, lasting six years, while 11 players were suspended for at least three years. Among those punished was striker Paolo Rossi, who returned shortly before the 1982 FIFA World Cup, where he won the Golden Boot and was named Player of the Tournament.

All active players who remained banned when Italy won the 1982 World Cup were reinstated soon afterwards.

European betting investigation – 2009

A probe by the Prosecutorial Office in Bochum, Germany, began as an investigation into organised crime. Phone interceptions uncovered widespread betting fraud, prompting raids in the UK, Germany, Switzerland and Austria in November 2009.

Prosecutors said at least 200 matches in nine European countries had been manipulated through bribes to players, coaches and officials. Croatian brothers Ante and Milan Sapina were identified as the leaders of the operation. Ukrainian referee Oleg Oriekhov was caught fixing a UEFA Europa League match between FC Basel and CSKA Sofia in November 2009.

A German investigation found that 32 matches at different levels had been manipulated, including games involving SSV Ulm, SC Verl and VfL Osnabruck. Turkey accounted for 29 affected matches, including fixtures involving Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Istanbul Basaksehir.

The inquiry also covered 11 matches in Austria, 22 in Switzerland, 17 in Belgium, 14 in Croatia, seven in Slovenia, 13 in Hungary and eight in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Three UEFA Champions League qualifiers and 12 UEFA Europa League qualifiers were investigated.

UEFA had already banned FK Pobeda from European competition for eight years for fixing a 2004 UEFA Champions League qualifier against Pyunik. The club’s president Aleksandar Zabrcanec and captain Nikolce Zdravevski received lifetime bans from European football.

A German referee was accused of accepting a bribe in a regional league match in May 2009. SSV Ulm players Davor Kraljevic, Marijo Marinovic and Dinko Radojevic were denounced by the club for their alleged involvement. SC Verl player Patrick Neumann admitted receiving a €500 bribe and was suspended, along with Tim Hagedorn. VfL Osnabruck player Marchel Schou admitted that a 3-0 defeat by Augsburg in April 2009 had been manipulated and was fined.

No Austrian clubs were held responsible, although Kapfenberg players were alleged to have received substantial payments to lose against Red Bull Salzburg, Rapid Wien and Austria Wien during the 2009/10 season.

In Switzerland, FC Thun and FC Gossau were investigated. Thun players were suspected of receiving thousands of Swiss francs, while Gossau midfielder Mario Bigoni said a 2009 match against Locarno was “not clean”. Gossau players were reportedly paid tens of thousands of francs. Bigoni was found dead in the Rhine River in October 2011.

Ante Sapina, who had also been convicted in the 2005 Bundesliga match-fixing case, served five years in prison. Milan Sapina received a 10-month sentence. Better Tuna A. and betting office operators Stevan R. and Nurretin G. were sentenced to 44 and 47 months respectively for manipulating 32 matches and bribing players.

Manchester City – 2009-18

Manchester City’s rise began after Abu Dhabi United Group’s 2009 takeover, when major investment helped the club win titles and challenge the Premier League’s established order.

Following leaks published by German newspaper Der Spiegel and a lengthy investigation, the Premier League announced in February 2023 that Manchester City had been charged with 115 breaches of its financial rules. The charges covered a nine-year period in which the club was accused of using deliberately overvalued sponsorship contracts to circumvent the regulations.

Sponsors allegedly paid only part of the stated value, with Emirati owners covering the remainder. This allowed Manchester City to record profits on paper rather than build the club’s equity through genuine revenue.

On 29 September 2026, the club was found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges. The findings said Manchester City had inflated revenue and artificially generated more than £900 million in profits.

Manchester City announced on 2 October that it would appeal the independent commission’s verdict. A final ruling, including any disciplinary action, is expected before the end of January 2027.

Former Russian Football Union president Vyacheslav Koloskov has supported Aleksandr Golovin’s decision to remain at Monaco after reports suggested the midfielder could return to the Russian Premier League.

The 30-year-old was linked with a move back to the RPL during the latest transfer window, but ultimately continued his career in France.

Golovin has played six matches for Monaco at club level this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists.

His current contract with Monaco runs until the summer of 2029. Transfermarkt values the midfielder at 18m euros.

A former police officer who worked in the France national team’s security department has been charged in an investigation involving an undeclared payment from Kylian Mbappe.

Mohamed Sanhadji was formally charged on 16 September over several alleged offences, including laundering money obtained through tax fraud, fraud and the misappropriation of public funds.

The investigation centres on a payment of 60,300 euros that Sanhadji received from Mbappe in 2023. Mbappe had decided to give his bonus from the 2022 World Cup to members of the national team’s security service.

However, Sanhadji allegedly failed to declare the money to the tax authorities, according to derbyderbyderby.it.

Investigators also found that Sanhadji had asked Mbappe for a loan of 120,000 euros. He reportedly claimed he was experiencing financial difficulties and needed the money to help fund a property transaction.

The proposed transfer was to be made through Mbappe’s mother, Fayza Lamari.

Sanhadji had been expected to join Zinedine Zidane’s staff, taking responsibility for security and logistics. He will not be able to take up that role because the conditions of his judicial supervision prevent him from contacting France players or members of the national team’s staff.

Olivier Giroud, one of the longest-serving figures in French football, says he is doing everything possible to maintain his fitness after two decades at professional level.

The France striker, who previously held the record for most goals scored for his country, spoke about the work he puts in to remain in good physical condition.

Giroud has played for a number of prominent clubs during his career, including Arsenal in London and Italian side Milan.

France’s new national team coach Zinedine Zidane says he has not spoken to Marco Materazzi since the 2006 World Cup final.

Zidane was asked about the match in Berlin, where he was sent off after headbutting Italy defender Materazzi.

“I have never spoken to Materazzi since that day,” Zidane said.

Italy went on to win the final despite falling behind, with Materazzi scoring their goal to level the match. The Italians then beat France in a penalty shootout.

Zidane ended his playing career immediately after the match.

Former Spartak player Alexander Mostovoy has discussed the future of Russia and Monaco central midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, amid reports that the 30-year-old could return to the Russian Premier League.

Speculation about a possible move back to Russia emerged in the press during the summer transfer window. Mostovoy was asked how long Golovin should remain abroad before considering a return to domestic football.

Golovin joined Monaco from CSKA Moscow in 2018. The Russia international has made six appearances for the French club this season, scoring one goal and providing two assists.