Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has revealed that he was financially supported by his teammates after the club suspended his wages when he was charged with multiple rape and sexual assault allegations in 2021. Mendy, now 30, is currently pursuing £11.5 million in unpaid wages from the Premier League champions, which he claims are owed to him due to the club’s decision to withhold his salary following his suspension.
The employment tribunal heard that Mendy, who was cleared of all charges in 2023, was lent money by several of his former teammates, including Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez, to cover legal expenses and support his family during his suspension. “Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me try and pay my legal fees and support my family,” Mendy said in his witness statement.
Mendy joined Manchester City in 2017 from AS Monaco in a £52 million transfer, and during his time with the club, he won three Premier League titles. However, his career took a sudden turn in August 2021 when he was charged with rape and sexual assault. The club suspended Mendy without pay, citing his inability to fulfill his contractual duties due to his bail conditions, which included a restriction preventing him from attending the club’s stadium or training ground.
Although Manchester City continued to pay Mendy following his initial arrest in November 2020, they stopped payments after formal charges were brought against him. The club argued that, due to his suspension by the Football Association (FA) and the legal restrictions imposed, he was unable to meet the requirements of his contract. As a result, Mendy “very quickly ran out of money” and was forced to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, child support payments, and other financial obligations.
Mendy’s financial situation became so precarious that he reached out to Omar Berrada, Manchester City’s Chief Football Operations Officer at the time, via a WhatsApp message in November 2022, inquiring about the possibility of receiving his outstanding wages. According to Mendy, he did not receive a reply. Mendy’s agent, Meissa N’Diaye, testified at the hearing that Berrada had assured him in September 2021 that the suspended wages would be paid once Mendy’s trial was concluded.
Berrada, who left Manchester City in July 2024 and now serves as Manchester United’s Chief Executive, denied making any such promises during the tribunal proceedings.
During the tribunal, the court also addressed Mendy’s conduct while on bail. The defender admitted that he had held or attended 15 separate parties during the period of his suspension, despite the restrictions imposed by the court and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Under cross-examination from Manchester City’s legal counsel, Sean Jones, Mendy acknowledged that his actions had posed a risk, though he defended his decisions at the time.
When Jones suggested that Mendy had been indifferent to the potential consequences, the player admitted, “At the time, yes.”
Mendy also claimed that he was treated unfairly by the club, stating that other first-team players, including the club’s captain, had attended some of the same parties he had organized or participated in but had not faced similar repercussions. He expressed frustration that he had been singled out for punishment while others were not held accountable for breaching Covid-19 guidelines or bail conditions.
Mendy has been vocal in his belief that he deserves the wages he lost during his suspension. He stated in court that he rejected an offer from the club to cancel his contract because he was determined to return to training and playing with his team. In his witness statement, Mendy said, “I believe that it is fair and just for me to be paid the wages that I would have earned but for being falsely arrested for crimes that I did not commit.”
The French defender, who left Manchester City when his contract expired in June 2023, has since resumed his playing career with Lorient, a Ligue 1 side in France. Despite his return to football, Mendy remains adamant that the financial and emotional toll of his legal battle warrants compensation from his former club.
Mendy spent five months in custody before being released on bail in January 2022. The case went to trial later that year, with Mendy ultimately being cleared of all charges. His final acquittal came in July 2023, when he was cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another in a retrial.
The tribunal is expected to last two days, during which further evidence will be presented by both Mendy and Manchester City representatives. The outcome will determine whether Mendy is entitled to the £11.5 million in unpaid wages he is seeking.
Mendy’s legal battle marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous period for the former Premier League star, who is eager to move past the ordeal and focus on the next stage of his footballing career.
