Benjamin Mendy has won the majority of his £11 million claim against Manchester City FC for unpaid wages after the club stopped his salary following charges of sexual offenses, according to an Employment Tribunal judge’s ruling.
The 30-year-old French full-back was suspended by Manchester City in August 2021 after his arrest for multiple sexual offenses, including rape. Mendy was remanded in custody for five months, during which the club withheld his salary until his contract expired in June 2023.
In January 2023, Mendy was acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a lengthy trial. In July 2023, he was further cleared of one rape charge and one attempted rape charge in a retrial.
To manage legal fees, bills, and child support, Mendy sold his Cheshire mansion. During this period, former teammates like Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez, and Bernardo Silva supported him financially.
Employment Judge Joanne Dunlop ruled that Mendy is “entitled to recover some, but not all, of the sums claimed” following a hearing at the Manchester Employment Tribunal. Judge Dunlop stated that while Mendy was not in custody, he was “ready and willing” to work but was “prevented from doing so by circumstances beyond his control.”
“In those circumstances, and in the absence of any contractual authorization to withhold pay, he was entitled to be paid,” Dunlop added.
While Mendy will receive most of his unpaid salary, the judge ruled that Manchester City was justified in withholding payments during his remand due to a breach of bail conditions. The exact amount owed will be calculated by Mendy and the club or determined in a future hearing if they cannot agree.
Following the ruling, Mendy said, “Today the Employment Tribunal upheld the main part of my claim against Manchester City for unpaid wages, concluding that the Club unlawfully deducted my wages for a total of 16 months and 23 days. After waiting three years, I hope the Club will now honor the decision and pay the outstanding amounts without further delay, so I can finally put this difficult part of my life behind me.”
