Benjamin Mendy sues Manchester City over unpaid wages after rape charges
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Footballer Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape by a British court in July.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LONDON – Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has sued the English Premier League club over nearly two years of unpaid wages after he was charged with sexual offences in 2021, his lawyer said.
The France international has filed a “multi-million-pound” claim with the employment tribunal, seeking the return of pay up until the end of his contract with the English champions, which ended in June.
The 29-year-old was found not guilty of one count of rape and one of attempted rape by a British court in July after being acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January, following allegations made by multiple women.
Mendy’s lawyer Nick de Marco confirmed in an e-mailed statement to Reuters on Nov 20 that he was acting for the player in a “multi-million pound claim for unauthorised deductions from wages”.
“Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offences, all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023,” the statement added.
“The claim will come before an employment tribunal.”
Mendy’s last appearance for City came against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2021.
A three-time Premier League champion with City, he was reportedly paid around £100,000 (S$167,500) per week by the club, who declined to comment when contacted by Reuters.
According to The Guardian, City are understood to be surprised that their former employee is taking action, given that he was unable to work or contribute to the club in any capacity while his lawsuit was ongoing.
Mendy, currently at French Ligue 1 side Lorient, joined City from Monaco in 2017 for a fee of around £52 million.
Meanwhile, the UK’s tax authority, HM Revenue and Customs, has sought a bankruptcy order against Mendy over a tax debt of nearly £800,000.
The Guardian reported that during a High Court hearing over the debt on Oct 4, King’s Counsel Louis Doyle, representing Mendy, said: “He is embarrassed about the fact that he is not able to discharge it quicker than he is able to. He is saying: ‘I want to pay as quickly as I can, I realise that I am in difficulty’.”
The case was adjourned in October for four months, with the intention of allowing time for the player to settle the dispute with City. REUTERS, AFP
