Benjamin Mendy, the ex-defender for Manchester City, has initiated legal proceedings against the club in hopes of recovering potential earnings of £10m.
Mendy was banned by City in August 2021 due to facing four rape charges and did not participate in any matches for the team until his departure in June 2023.
City did not compensate the former French defender from September 2021 until his contract expired, as they believed he could not work due to being on bail and going through multiple trials.
Mendy spent more than four months in custody before being released on bail in January 2022. His bail conditions stipulated he could not enter the county of Greater Manchester, where City train and play home matches, and he was required to surrender his passport. City are understood to be surprised their former employee is taking action.
In January, the 29-year-old was cleared of raping four women and sexually assaulting another by the Chester crown court. In July, he was also found not guilty after a retrial on two charges of rape and attempted rape.
“According to a statement sent to the Guardian, Nick De Marco KC, represented by Laffer Abogados in Madrid, is currently representing Benjamin Mendy, a former Manchester City player, in a lawsuit worth millions of pounds for unauthorized wage deductions.”
“Manchester City FC did not provide any salary to Mr Mendy starting in September 2021, after he was charged with multiple offenses that he was later cleared of, until his contract ended in June 2023. This issue will be brought to an employment tribunal.”
In July, Mendy joined Ligue 1 team Lorient. After his trial, he and his agent reached out to City to try and regain their reported earnings of £9m to £10m.
Since the two parties have not come to an agreement, the issue will be presented before an employment tribunal.
The HM Revenue and Customs has taken legal action against the French footballer for owing nearly £800,000 in taxes. At a court hearing on October 4th, Louis Doyle KC, who is representing Mendy, stated that he is ashamed of not being able to pay off the debt faster. Mendy has expressed his desire to pay off the debt as soon as possible and acknowledges that he is facing financial difficulties.
Skip over the advertisement for the newsletter.
after newsletter promotion
The lawyer mentioned, “This may be the final opportunity, if not the last opportunity altogether, as we are running out of time.”
The court postponed the case for four months in order to give Mendy the opportunity to resolve the dispute with City.
In 2017, Mendy joined City from Monaco for £53m, making him the priciest full-back in soccer globally. He inked a six-year deal that was reportedly valued at £28m.
He has earned three Premier League championships and two League Cups while playing under Pep Guardiola. The player, who primarily plays as a left-back, has also represented France 10 times and was a member of the team that emerged victorious in the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia.
Source: theguardian.com
