Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy will receive the majority of his unpaid wages from the Premier League champions after an employment tribunal ruled largely in his favour.
Softfootball understands that the ruling followed Mendy’s claim for about £11 million in unpaid salary after Manchester City stopped paying him from September 2021 until his contract expired in June 2023.
The France international, who was charged with rape and sexual assault in August 2021, was suspended without pay during that period. However, he was later cleared of all charges after two separate trials.
Employment Judge Joanne Dunlop ruled that Manchester City were entitled to withhold Mendy’s wages only during the five months he spent in custody. She found that the club was not entitled to withhold his salary during the remaining period because his Football Association suspension and bail conditions, rather than any refusal to work, prevented him from fulfilling his contractual obligations.
According to the judgment, Mendy’s contract did not contain any clause allowing the club to stop paying his wages while he was suspended by the FA or restricted by bail conditions.
Judge Dunlop also concluded that Mendy was “ready and willing” to work whenever he was not in custody but was unable to do so because of circumstances beyond his control.
The exact amount the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner will receive is expected to be agreed by both parties or determined at a future hearing if no agreement is reached.
Mendy joined Manchester City from Monaco in a £52 million transfer in 2017 and won three Premier League titles before leaving the club in 2023. He now plays for French club Lorient.
