Kylian Mbappe is set to become €60 million richer after winning a court battle over unpaid wages and bonuses from his former club, Paris Saint-Germain.
One aspect of Mbappe's legal victory came as a surprise. PSG was ordered to pay the striker €1,5 million in "ethical bonus" compensation.
For many fans, especially in the UK, an ethical bonus may sound a little strange. But in France it is a normal part of a professional athlete's contract.
The "ethical bonus" has made headlines before, mainly when details of Neymar's contract with PSG were revealed by the Spanish newspaper "El Mundo".
The Brazilian striker's contract stipulated a monthly salary of 541,680 euros. For Mbappe, the bonus was 500,000 euros per month.
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Reports cite clauses that required Neymar to show “courtesy, friendliness and willingness to the fans.” He was also expected to greet fans before and after each match.
The truth behind the ethical bonus is much different.
What is the ethical bonus?
In English football, clubs can fine a player two weeks' wages. French law prohibits any deduction from a worker's salary. That's why sports teams make a small part of their salary an "ethics bonus." The base salary and ethics bonus are effectively the player's total salary.
In 2021, several reports claimed that Neymar received extra money for booing fans. But the details paint a different picture.
Neymar was expected to behave responsibly towards sponsors and referees. He had to show up to training on time and was forbidden from placing bets. This was essentially a moral code.
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"Clubs are very keen to protect their image," football finance expert Kieran Maguire told the BBC.
"Club directors don't want the club to be criticized. And they call those conditions good behavior clauses. Behavior clauses are very common in sport."
In 2018, Marco Verratti had part of his ethics bonus withheld after being caught driving under the influence. Hatem Ben Arfa also lost his bonus after failing to attend PSG's mid-season training camp in Qatar.
In 2023, Lionel Messi was punished by PSG after making an unauthorized trip to Saudi Arabia.
40 percent more money from bonuses
Bonuses now form a large part of a player's contract. They cover loyalty payments, which are awarded each year on the anniversary of the player joining the club. There are also bonuses for image rights and goal scoring.
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“The contract that used to be written on the back of a napkin is now an investment by a variety of stakeholders,” says Maguire.
"You have the club, you have the agent, the management company, the player. And quite often the player's intellectual property rights company. I've seen some of the big six contracts and there's a 25 percent increase for participation in the Champions League," says the financial expert.
