Benzoin Mendycurrently playing Lorient French, won a very important victory, at least for his own pocket, in his legal battle against the Manchester City. The French defender demanded 11 million pounds, or around 13.2 million euros, from the English club in unpaid wages, after being accused and then acquitted of sexual assault crimes. The UK Employment Tribunal ruled in favor of Mendywho will receive the majority of the salaries he requested, which constitutes a new blow for the club citizensin the eye of the hurricane of recent months.
The judge Jane Dunlopin charge of the case, resolved that Mendy He was entitled to the majority of salary withheld during his suspension, which began in September 2021 and extended until the end of his contract in June 2023. According to Dunlopthe player “was ready and willing to work”, but the restrictions imposed by the English Football Association (FA) and the conditions of his release on bail were, in the words of the judgment, “inevitable or involuntary” for him. Therefore, the court concluded that Manchester City had no legal justification for withholding his salary during this period in which Mendy He was free, although he was separated from the sport due to the legal circumstances of the alleged crimes.
He CityHowever, he was entitled to suspend the payment of the footballer’s salary only during the five months of his custody, underlines the judge. Dunlopbut the English club were not allowed to skip payments during the months the player was available for work, despite the FA order banning him from playing for the team. Mendywhose salary in Manchester City While it amounted to around half a million pounds per month, or around 600,000 euros, he claimed that the situation had generated great financial losses, to the point of being forced to sell properties to avoid the bankruptcy.
The conflict arose from the suspension of Mendy in 2021, when he was accused by several women of serious crimes, charges of which he was finally exonerated in 2023 after a long legal process. During his hearing, the legal representatives of the City They argued that the team had valid reasons for not paying him salary, claiming that Mendy He was neither “prepared nor capable of carrying out his duties” after his incarceration, due to his legal status and the judicial restrictions subsequently imposed on him.
However, the defense of Mendy maintained that the City had not respected the agreed salary commitments, especially after the player was acquitted of all charges against him, which the judge accepted.
Statement. pic.twitter.com/9EgsM2jQM7
-Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) November 6, 2024
After the court decision, Mendy He released a statement on his social networks, in which he expressed his satisfaction with the result and expressed his desire to “leave this difficult stage behind” in his life. In his own words, “the labor court upheld most of my complaint against the Manchester Citystating that the club had made illegal deductions from my salary over a period of 16 months and 23 days. Mendy He also expressed his gratitude to his family, his agent, Meissa Ndiayeand his legal team for their support throughout this long and complicated process.
