Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy is seeking £11.5 million in unpaid wages from the Premier League club, claiming he was left financially strained after his salary was withheld following rape and sexual assault charges in 2021. The French international revealed in an employment tribunal that teammates Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez lent him money to help cover legal fees and support his family.
Mendy, 30, was cleared of all charges earlier this year but says Manchester City stopped paying his £500,000 monthly salary after his arrest. The tribunal heard that Mendy “quickly ran out of money” and had to sell his home to meet mounting legal costs and child support obligations. He is now pursuing compensation for what he describes as “unauthorised deductions” from his wages.
Mendy’s contract with City included significant bonuses, including £900,000 for playing in 60% of matches and £1 million for Champions League qualification. His wages were halted after his 2021 arrest, although the club initially continued payments following his first arrest in November 2020.
Mendy testified that Manchester City’s then-Chief Football Operating Officer, Omar Berrada, assured him he would receive his back pay once cleared of the charges. However, the footballer says this promise was never fulfilled, despite his acquittal. Messages and emails sent to club executives, including a plea to Chief Executive Khaldoon Al Mubarak, reportedly went unanswered.
Manchester City defended its decision to stop paying Mendy, arguing that his bail conditions and suspension by the Football Association prevented him from performing his duties as a player. Mendy’s legal team countered by stating that the charges were false and had severely impacted his life, both financially and personally.
Mendy, who now plays for Lorient in France’s Ligue 2, was found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January 2023. A retrial later cleared him of an additional charge of rape and attempted rape.
The employment tribunal is expected to conclude after two days of hearings. Mendy continues to seek compensation for the wages and bonuses he believes are rightfully owed following his legal ordeal.
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