He spent five months in prison Manchester City must pay Mendy millions in wages

SDA

6.11.2024 - 13:39

Benjamin Mendy has sued his former club Manchester City and won his case.
Benjamin Mendy has sued his former club Manchester City and won his case.
Keystone

Manchester City must pay his former player Benjamin Mendy millions in withheld wages.

Keystone-SDA

The defender, who now plays for French second division club Lorient, had sued the English champions at an employment tribunal in Manchester.

Mendy accused his former club of wrongly stopping the payment of his monthly salary after he was arrested in August 2021 for alleged sexual offenses. After two court cases, the 2018 French world champion was acquitted of all charges.

Mendy, who is now 30 years old, had previously spent a total of five months in prison. He was suspended for almost two years before his contract with the Citizens ended in June 2023. Mendy had reportedly demanded the equivalent of around 12.4 million francs (11 million pounds) from his former employer.

The court in Manchester ruled that Mendy was entitled to the majority of his claim. Manchester City had the right to stop the payments during his imprisonment. However, when Mendy was not in custody, he was prevented from doing his job against his will. The club was therefore not entitled to withhold his wages.