Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has won his legal case against the club to recover a significant portion of his unpaid salary, which had been withheld during his trial on rape charges.
A report by Daily Mail on Wednesday noted that Mendy, who was eventually acquitted, successfully argued for “unauthorised deductions” from his wages in an employment tribunal.
The case centred on City’s decision to halt Mendy’s £500,000-a-month salary in 2021 following his second arrest.
Mendy, who joined Manchester City in 2017 for £49 million from Monaco, had been on full pay after his initial arrest in November 2020.
However, City reportedly informed him after his re-arrest that he would no longer be paid, as he was “not presently ready and able to perform the obligations of his contract.”
During the tribunal, it was revealed that Mendy initially filed a claim for approximately £11 million before tax, covering a 22-month period.
While the tribunal ruled in his favour for most of the claim, the exact amount remains under negotiation. If the parties cannot reach an agreement, a future hearing will determine the final figure.
The tribunal heard that former Manchester City Chief Operating Officer Omar Berrada had allegedly assured Mendy that his wages would resume if he was acquitted.
However, Mendy claimed he received no response from Berrada or Chief Executive Khaldoon Al Mubarak when he sought clarification.
Mendy revealed to the court that his then-City teammates Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez helped him financially while his wages were withheld, and he was forced to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, bills, and child support.
City argued in court that Mendy only had himself to blame for acting irresponsibly, following reports that the left-back threw parties at the mansion during lockdown and breached his bail conditions, the report added.
City’s legal representative, Sean Jones KC, argued that Mendy’s behaviour during this time should be taken into account.
Referring to reports that Mendy had held parties during the lockdown and violated his bail conditions, Jones said, “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… there should be no consequences to my behaviour.’”
Following his acquittal last year, Mendy expressed relief in court, reportedly exclaiming “Alhamdulillah,” meaning “Praise be to God” in Arabic.
The case has had a lasting impact on the player, as highlighted by Head of Serious & General Crime at Hickman & Rose, Jenny Wiltshire, who said, “This is the second time that Mr Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury.
He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts.”
Wiltshire added, “It has been almost three years since the police started investigating this matter. Mr Mendy has tried to remain strong, but the process has, inevitably, had a serious impact on him.”
Mendy has since returned to his home country to rebuild his career and now plays for Lorient in France’s Ligue 2.
