Benjamin Mendy wins £11m Man City battle over unpaid wages after rape acquittal

Benjamin Mendy has won the majority of his £11million claim against Manchester City over unpaid wages, an Employment Tribunal judge has ruled. The club stopped paying his reported £125,000-a-week salary when he was charged with sex offences.

The 30-year-old French defender was suspended by City in August 2021 after he was taken into custody over allegations including rape. As Mendy’s trial unfolded and his imprisonment continued for five months, City ceased paying his salary until what would have been the end of his contract in June 2023.

January 2023 witnessed Mendy being acquitted of six rape charges and one sexual assault after a drawn-out court case. He also received absolution on one further count of rape and another of attempted rape during July’s retrial in 2023.

Due to the financial strain from legal costs, child support, and other outgoings, Mendy was compelled to sell his lavish Cheshire home, while fellow footballers like Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, and Bernardo Silva reportedly stepped in to support him financially.

Mendy claimed there were “unauthorised deductions” from his wages and has won his battle. Employment Judge Joanne Dunlop ruled that Mendy is “entitled to recover some, but not all of the sums claimed”.

She found that Mendy was “ready and willing” to work and was “prevented from doing” so by reasons that were “unavoidable or involuntary on his part”.

He will be now entitled to receive the majority of his unpaid wages. The exact amount he receives will need to be calculated by Mendy and City, or determined at a future hearing.

In a statement supplied to the employment tribunal last month, the defender now at Lorient in France, 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 any behaviour from his former team-mates was non-consensual.

Mendy, whose legal battle was fronted by Nick De Marco KC, further complained: “I was just as ready, willing and able to perform my duties as the other Manchester City players that Manchester City knew attended the parties, and on Manchester City’s account, acted recklessly.

“I am not, however, aware of Manchester City deducting or suspending the pay of any of the other players even when it was public knowledge that such players had attended the parties.

“I do, therefore, feel it incredibly unjust that Manchester City effectively singled me out from the team when I was doing nothing different to the rest of the team.”

On a more personal note, Mendy shared how three of his team-mates stepped up to support him financially during this trying time: “Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family.”

Mendy had made a £52m move from Monaco to Man City in 2017 and he secured three Premier League titles with the English team, although his time on the pitch was marred by injuries.

Sean Jones KC, representing the Premier League champions, argued at the tribunal that Mendy’s lack of payment was solely his own fault due to irresponsible conduct.

He stated: “The essence of the submission by Mr Mendy is that his contract creates a moral hazard. He says ‘I can behave as irresponsibly as I like, I can ignore all the rules, both legal, of the club and common sense to the point where my behaviour results in prison.

“He is trying to make a moral hazard into a virtue. He says ‘It should in no way affect my entitlement to pay. There should be no consequences to my behaviour.'”