French defender Benjamin Mendy has triumphed in his legal battle with former club Manchester City over unpaid wages, winning the majority of the £11 million he claimed for the period while facing rape charges.
Mendy was acquitted of raping a woman at his £4 million mansion and attempting to rape another woman in a trial last year. However, City stopped paying his £500,000-a-month salary in 2021 after Mendy’s second arrest.
In response, Mendy, who joined City from Monaco for £49 million in 2017, took the Premier League club to an employment tribunal. He won most of his claim for “unauthorised deductions” from his wages, which amounted to around £11 million before tax.
However, the tribunal ruled that he would not receive the full amount, as he spent roughly five months in custody during the 22-month period covered by the claim. The exact sum will either be agreed upon by both parties or determined in a future hearing.
The tribunal heard that City continued to pay Mendy after his first arrest in November 2020, but they stopped payments following his re-arrest the following year. Mendy’s contract included a £900,000 bonus for playing 60% of matches, a £1 million bonus for Champions League qualification, and an annual £1.2 million payment for image rights in addition to his salary.
When Mendy was charged, City informed him that they would not pay his wages because he was “not presently ready and able to perform the obligations of his contract.” Mendy claimed that former chief operating officer Omar Berrada assured him his salary would be reinstated once he was acquitted, but he received no follow-up when he reached out to Berrada and CEO Khaldoon Al Mubarak.
During the period his wages were withheld, Mendy said teammates Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez helped him financially. Mendy was forced to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, bills, and child support.
City argued that Mendy’s irresponsible behavior, including hosting parties at his mansion during the lockdown and breaching his bail conditions, was the cause of his financial difficulties. Sean Jones KC, representing City, argued that Mendy was trying to make a “moral hazard” out of his actions, claiming there should be no consequences for his behavior in terms of pay entitlement.
Mendy, who now plays for Lorient in Ligue 2 after returning to France last year, has not played for Manchester City since August 2021 following the r*pe allegations.
