The Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has told jurors in the rape trial of Benjamin Mendy that the footballer is a “really good boy” but he does not know what the player does with his private life, adding: “I’m not his father.”
The 28-year-old French international is accused of sexually assaulting women during parties at his Cheshire mansion or at an apartment in Manchester city centre.
Guardiola, who signed Mendy in 2017, gave evidence for the defence at Chester crown court on Monday.
The Manchester Evening News reported the former Spain international as saying: “I control my players when we are together in training sessions. In their private life, I don’t know what they do. I don’t follow the players on social media so I don’t know what they are doing outside my control in training sessions and in games … I’m not his father.”
Guardiola told the court he would “notice immediately” if there were difficulties among his players during training sessions.
Asked to describe Mendy’s character, Guardiola said: “He’s a really good boy, I would say so generous. I think he is happy and I remember that when we were together and everybody asks for some favours and he was able to do it.
“He’s a very generous boy. I think he very quickly adapted to the team and I would say he was very happy he could help the other ones.”
When it was put to Guardiola that he was aware of “serious sexual offences” alleged against Mendy and was still “prepared to come” to the court, he replied: “He asked me, Mendy, to come here today with all of you, your honour, and that’s why I’m here.”
Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
His co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, 41, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
The trial continues.
