Manchester City have been directed to pay former player Benjamin Mendy the majority of £11 million in unpaid wages after he was acquitted of multiple sexual offence charges.
The ruling came after Mendy filed an employment tribunal claim, asserting that the club had withheld his salary unlawfully following his 2021 arrest on rape and sexual assault charges.
Mendy, who had been earning £100,000 per week, claimed Manchester City had promised to resume payments if he was acquitted – a promise he argued they did not honour.
Mendy’s Man City Suspension and Acquittal
The legal dispute began in 2021 when Mendy was charged with rape and sexual assault, leading Man City to halt his salary payments starting in September of that year.
The club cited the defender’s detention and subsequent bail breach, stating that Mendy “was not ready and able to perform his duties … as a consequence of his own conduct.”
Mendy’s legal battles continued until early 2023. In January, he was acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in a trial at Chester Crown Court.
A retrial later cleared him of a further rape charge and an attempted rape charge, fully exonerating the French defender.
Tribunal Decision: A Partial Victory for Mendy
The employment tribunal ruled in favour of Mendy’s claim, awarding him the majority of the unpaid wages he sought, though not the full £11 million.
Judge Joanne Dunlop stated in the tribunal’s summary judgement that “the result of this decision is that Mr. Mendy will be entitled to receive the majority of his unpaid salary, although not all of it.”
While Mendy argued he was entitled to full back pay due to his eventual acquittal, the tribunal awarded him a partial sum. The French defender has since released a statement on social media.
Statement. pic.twitter.com/9EgsM2jQM7
— Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) November 6, 2024
Mendy’s contract with Man City expired in June 2023, and he subsequently joined French club Lorient on a free transfer in July.
Since his arrival, Mendy has made only one appearance for Lorient this season in France’s Ligue 2, where the club now competes following their relegation from Ligue 1.
