Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy won the bulk of a legal dispute over unpaid wages against the club, securing more than £11 million ($14.2 million) in compensation.
The French international, filed the claim in 2023, alleging he was owed wages from September 2021, when Manchester City ceased payments following his charges on multiple sexual offences, until his contract ended in June 2023. The defender was acquitted of all charges in early 2023 after trials in Chester Crown Court.
Mendy argued that City wrongfully withheld his wages, contending that he had been assured payment upon his exoneration.
However, City’s legal team maintained that he was ineligible for payment since he could not perform his professional duties due to time spent in custody after a bail violation.
Judge Joanne Dunlop, in a written judgment, ruled that Mendy was entitled to some but not all of the disputed funds. Dunlop noted that during the five months Mendy was in custody, City was justified in suspending payments.
However, when he was out of custody, Dunlop determined that he was “ready and willing to work” but unable to do so due to FA suspensions and bail conditions beyond his control.
Mendy, who transferred to Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017 with a £52 million fee and a £6 million annual salary, recently signed with French club Lorient in Ligue 2 following his retrial.
