Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is facing a reported legal dispute over an alleged €540,000 payment claimed by his former lawyer, Pierre-Henri Bovis.
The five-year disagreement centres on a contract extension Mateta signed with Mainz in June 2019 and the subsequent move that took him to Selhurst Park.
Mateta disputes €540,000 claim
Bovis is seeking compensation equivalent to 10 per cent of the transfer-related sum agreed during Mateta’s time at the German club, according to a report by L’Equipe.
The former lawyer maintains that he negotiated the Mainz agreement and was entitled to be paid when Mateta later moved to another club. Mateta ended their professional relationship in July 2020, before joining Crystal Palace on loan in 2021.
Palace made the French forward’s move permanent a year later. Bovis argues that the original agreement remains valid despite no longer representing Mateta when the transfer took place.
Mateta’s legal representatives dispute the claim and have questioned both the validity and timing of the document involved.
The former lawyer initially secured an order from the Paris Bar Association requiring payment. However, the Paris Court of Appeal overturned that decision in 2023, ruling that the agreement required further examination.
Mateta also brought a criminal complaint alleging forgery, although the initial complaint was dismissed before further legal proceedings followed.
The dispute reportedly includes a separate disagreement over the striker’s Paris apartment. With the legal issues still unresolved, the Crystal Palace forward continues to face a lengthy financial battle away from football.
