Manchester City owe Benjamin Mendy £8.5 million in unpaid wages after he won an employment tribunal case against the club.
The dispute arose when City refused to pay Mendy for the final 22 months of his contract, worth £11 million, following his trial for rape even after his acquittal last year. The tribunal ruled the club was justified in withholding only five months’ salary, equal to £2.5 million, for the time Mendy was remanded in custody for breaching bail conditions.
In a statement, Mendy said: "Having had to wait for three years for my wages, I am delighted with the decision and sincerely hope the club will now do the honourable thing and pay the outstanding amounts, as well as the other amounts promised to me under the contract, without further delay, so I can finally put this difficult part of my life behind me.”
Judge Joanne Dunlop’s summary stated that Mendy’s custody was partly due to his own actions, specifically breaching bail conditions.
However, during other periods, he was unable to fulfill his contract because of an FA suspension. The judge emphasised that the suspension was precautionary, not punitive, and did not result from misconduct.
The tribunal concluded City could not withhold Mendy’s wages during these periods since the contract lacked provisions allowing for such action under an FA suspension or bail conditions. The remaining unpaid amount will be calculated by the parties or determined in a future hearing if necessary.
Mendy, suspended in August 2021 after being charged with four counts of rape, had been denied his £6 million annual salary while awaiting trial. To make ends meet, he received financial support from teammates Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva, and Riyad Mahrez. Facing bankruptcy during the trial, Mendy sold his £5 million Cheshire home and dealt with a significant tax bill.
He later alleged that his partying during the period of the accusations mirrored behavior by other City players, although no wrongdoing was attributed to them.
Mendy referenced an article naming several teammates, including Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, Mahrez, Sterling, and John Stones, as attendees of alcohol-fueled parties during the period in question. However, these claims were not substantiated, and no misconduct was suggested by any of the players.