Benjamin Mendy has released a statement after making a claim against Manchester City (Image: GETTY)
Benjamin Mendy has released a statement after Manchester City were ordered to pay the defender the majority of the £11million he claimed against them for unpaid wages at an employment tribunal.
The 30-year-old made the claim against his former employers after they suspended him without pay from September 2021 until his departure from the club in June 2023.
At the start of last year, Mendy was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. He was then cleared in July 2023 of raping one woman and attempting to rape another.
“Today the employment tribunal upheld the main part of my claim against Manchester City Football Club for unpaid wages, finding that the club had unlawfully made deductions from my wages for a total period of 16 months and 23 days,” Mendy wrote on Wednesday.
“Having had to wait for 3 years for my wages, I am delighted with the decision and sincerely hope that the club will now do the honourable thing and pay the outstanding amounts, as well as the other amounts promised to me under the contract, without further delay, so I can finally put this difficult part of my life behind me.
“I would like to thank my family, agent (Meissa N’diaye) and my legal team (Nick De Marco KC, Laffer Abogados and Fletcher Sports Law) for all of their support.”
Benjamin Mendy is now playing for Lorient in France after leaving Manchester City in June 2023 (Image: GETTY)
Mendy joined City from Monaco in July 2017 after the Citizens shelled out £52million to secure the Frenchman’s services.
The early part of his City career was hampered by a string of serious injuries as the Citizens won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2018 and 2019. He helped Pep Guardiola’s side win another title in 2021 but only featured in the opening Premier League game of the 2021/22 campaign before being suspended as City went on to land another top-flight trophy.
That proved to be Mendy’s final match for the north west giants and he was allowed to join Lorient after his contract expired. He made a total of 75 appearances for City.
In a statement provided to the employment tribunal in October, Mendy said: “Several Manchester City first-team players, including the club captain, were all present at the parties that I attended and hosted.
“We all drank alcohol. We all had casual relations with women. We all breached Covid-19 restrictions. This does not excuse my behaviour, but I feel that it is unfair for Manchester City to single me out in the way that they have.
“The difference between me and the other Manchester City players is that I was the one that was falsely accused of rape and publicly humiliated.”
There is no suggestion that any behaviour from his ex-team-mates was non-consensual.
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1972457/Benjamin-Mendy-Man-City-Lorient