Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has filed a big money claim against the club. He claims that they stopped paying his wages and he is owed a lot of money.
Mendy was charged with rape and sexual assault crimes in 2021. Because of this, Manchester City stopped paying him any wages starting in September 2021. Mendy’s contract with the club lasted until June 2023.
In July this year, Mendy was found not guilty by a jury at a retrial court case. Earlier in 2022, he had also been found not guilty of other sexual offense charges against some women. The jury could not decide on two charges at that time, so there was a retrial.
READ ALSO: Ex-Man City footballer Benjamin Mendy found not guilty of rape
Now Mendy wants Manchester City to pay him the wages he should have got until his contract ended. His lawyer, Nick De Marco, has filed the claim with the Employment Tribunal. This is where these workplace disputes go in the UK.
De Marco said this will be a claim for many millions of pounds owed to Mendy. Mendy played for Manchester City from 2017 to 2021. The club paid a record £52 million to sign him from Monaco in France.
During his time at City, Mendy won three Premier League titles. He was also part of the France team that won the 2018 World Cup.
Mendy stopped playing for Manchester City in August 2021 when he was first charged. He now plays in France for Lorient.
The Employment Tribunal will decide if Manchester City must pay Mendy the wages he says are owed until June 2023. Mendy was found not guilty of the criminal charges against him.
This case shows what can happen when a player cannot play but has not been found guilty. Teams may stop wages but then have to pay if the player is cleared. Mendy wants all his lost wages now that he has been cleared.
