A UK judge ruled on Wednesday that former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy is entitled to receive most of the £11.5 million ($15 million) in wages withheld by the club after he faced rape and sexual assault charges in 2021.The French defender, previously earning £500,000 monthly with the Premier League champions, filed a claim with an employment tribunal last month, arguing he had been assured by a senior club official that unpaid wages would be released if he was cleared of the charges.Mendy, now 30 and currently playing for French Ligue 2 team Lorient, was acquitted of six rape charges and one sexual assault charge in January 2023. A jury failed to reach a verdict on an additional rape charge and one count of attempted rape, leading to a retrial in which he was found not guilty on both counts.Mendy had to borrow money from his Man City teammates for legal feesEmployment judge Joanne Dunlop concluded that Mendy was entitled to recover “some, but not all of the sums claimed.” She emphasized that Mendy, who was not in custody for most of the period, was “ready and willing” to work and that his contract lacked specific authorization for the club to withhold pay.Following the decision, Mendy expressed his relief, stating he was “delighted” and hoped Manchester City would “do the honorable thing” by paying the outstanding amount to help him move forward from this challenging period in his life.BREAKING: Benjamin Mendy has been successful in his employment claim against Manchester City 🚨In her judgement, published on November 6, Judge Joanne Dunlop’s concluded that Manchester City were not entitled to withhold Mendy’s pay while he was not in custody. pic.twitter.com/dRWmfHpfgO— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 6, 2024 Mendy’s claim covers 22 months, including two custodial periods totaling about five months, leaving an estimated amount owed of around £8.5 million.According to tribunal records, Mendy “quickly ran out of funds” due to the wage suspension, prompting him to sell his £4.8-million home to manage legal expenses, bills, and child support payments. The exact amount he is to receive will be finalized between Mendy and the club, or determined by the tribunal if they cannot agree.The club initially continued to pay Mendy’s salary after his first arrest in November 2020 but argued that payments were no longer required once he was formally charged, as his bail restrictions and a Football Association suspension prevented him from fulfilling his duties as a player.##NAJAVA_MECA_8477821##
