New Delhi: After being accused of sexual offenses, former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy borrowed funds from teammates to cover his legal costs and child support, an employment tribunal heard on Monday. Mendy is suing the Premier League winners for £11.5 million ($15 million) in unpaid wages.
The team stopped paying him after he was accused of sexual assault and rape in 2021. In January 2023, a jury declared the former French international not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault; however, they were unable to reach a decision on one count of attempted rape and another case of rape.
This is how Mendy’s Manchester City team mates supported him
🗣️ | BREAKING: Benjamin Mendy: “I struggled to pay my child support [when #ManCity stopped paying me. I felt awful…Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family.” via @standardsport pic.twitter.com/OuK2mfe3n8
— City Chief (@City_Chief) October 14, 2024
Mendy was found not guilty of both charges following a retrial. Mendy, who reportedly paid £52 million to join City from Monaco in 2017, was let go by the team in June 2023 when his contract expired. After his wages were withheld, Mendy “very quickly ran out of money” and had to sell his Cheshire property to pay for bills, legal fees, and child support, according to court documents provided to the Manchester employment tribunal.
“I struggled to pay my child support, I felt awful,” the football player stated during a witness statement. “Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family.”
Benjamin Mendy’s current status
Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy leaves Chester Crown Court after being found not guilty on July 14, 2023 in Chester, England. In an earlier trial, Mendy was cleared of rape and sexual assault charges involving six women, but that jury could not reach verdicts on sex offences involving two other women. Mendy has now also been found not guilty on the retrial on those charges. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)
Mendy, who currently plays for Lorient of the French Ligue 2, said a top City official promised him that after he was exonerated of the accusations, he would get his unpaid salary back. After Mendy’s initial arrest in November 2020, the club kept paying his £500,000 monthly wage.
However, they claimed they were under no obligation to do so after he was charged because his bail terms and a Football Association suspension prevented him from carrying out his responsibilities as a player. Mendy’s witness testimony further stated that Manchester City never expressed their regret to Mendy or even acknowledged how their actions nearly cost him everything.
Benjamin Mendy, an ex Manchester City player was falsely accused of Rape, and his Manchester City teammates helped him out with the his leagal fees. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
