Mendy Wins Salary Dispute With Manchester City

Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy is entitled to “the majority of his unpaid salary” from the Premier League club, a judge has ruled.

The France international, who was charged with rape and sexual assault in August 2021, took City to an employment tribunal to claim about £11m before tax in unpaid wages after he was suspended without pay from September 2021 until he left the club in June 2023.

Last year Mendy was cleared of a series of rape and attempted rape charges.

The Judge ruled that City were entitled to withhold Mendy’s salary for the periods he was in custody, which amounted to about five of the 22 months he was not paid.

A Football Association suspension meant Mendy, who was on a basic salary of £6m a year, was unable to fulfil his contractual obligations when not in custody.

The Judge said: “I found that Mr Mendy was ‘ready and willing’ to work during the non-custody periods, and was prevented from doing so by impediments (the FA suspension and bail conditions) which were unavoidable or involuntary on his part.”

She said the amount Mendy will receive will be calculated between the two parties or at a future hearing if they cannot agree.

Mendy was remanded in custody for five months before being released on bail in January 2022. The case went to trial for the first time in August 2022.

In January 2023 Mendy was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

He was then cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another in July 2023 at a retrial.

Mendy, who left City when his contract expired, now plays for French side Lorient.