Footballer Benjamin Mendy is taking his former club Manchester City to the Employment Tribunal over what he claims to be millions of pounds in unpaid wages after being charged with rape and sexual assault.
The former defender, 29, claimed he was not paid by his former club after the charges were laid in 2021. He is seeking what he believes he was owed up until the end of his contract, in June 2023, in a "multi-million-pound claim".
In July Mendy was found not guilty of raping a young woman and the attempted rape of another by a jury in a retrial at Chester Crown Court.
In January he was cleared by a jury of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to four young women or teenagers, following a six-month trial. Jurors failed to reach verdicts on the two counts of rape and attempted rape he was re-tried with.
Sports lawyer Nick De Marco KC confirmed to the Standard that he is representing the player and a claim has been filed with the Employment Tribunal.
In a statement to the Standard, he said: "Nick De Marco KC (instructed by Laffer Abogados (Madrid) is acting for the former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy in a multi-million-pound claim for unauthorised deductions from wages.
"Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offence all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023.
"The claim will come before an Employment Tribunal."
Manchester City has been approached for comment. In October it was reported that Mendy was "embarrassed" about a six-figure tax debt which he wanted to pay "as quickly as possible".
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) sought a bankruptcy order against the footballer over a nearly £800,000 bill.
In August Mendy's accountant told the High Court that the footballer's previous house near Macclesfield, Cheshire, was marketed by estate agent Savills for £5 million.
Mendy has signed a two-year deal with French club Lorient.
Mendy won three Premier League titles with Manchester City and last played for the club in August 2021.
He was part of France's World Cup-winning squad in 2018.
