French soccer star Benjamin Mendy has reportedly come back to haunt his former club Manchester City. Mendy, who was charged with several counts of ra*e and se*ual assault in 2021, was acquitted last month.
He was also suspended by his club during that time till his contract ended back in June this year. However, despite leaving the club, Mendy has decided to take action against Manchester City.
Benjamin Mendy was charged with eight counts of ra*e, one attempted ra*e, and one count of se*ual assault by Cheshire Constabulary in 2021. Immediately after the charges were brought, Mendy was suspended by City. Moreover, he was also taken under custody after he was refused bail. The French defender was initially arrested in August 2021 before being released on parole and kept under strict supervision at his house.
A lengthy trial ensued where City boss Pep Guardiola appeared as a witness and described Mendy as a “really good boy“. With the trial spanning almost a year, Mendy who had pleaded guilty, was finally cleared of all charges on July 14, 2023.
After his contract at City had already expired at the end of June, Mendy signed with the French club Lorient.
🚨 Benjamin Mendy is set to sue Manchester City for nearly €11.5M. 💰
The Frenchman wasn’t paid between August 2021 and June 2023 because of his legal battles and arrest and he intends to claim it back.
(Source: @guardian ) pic.twitter.com/Cd3nZYsC3U
— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) August 10, 2023
While Benjamin Mendy was suspended by City, he didn’t receive any payments from the club since September 2021. As per the latest reports, Mendy has decided to sue Manchester City for his unpaid pages. Mendy, who joined City for around $62.3 million back in 2017, was paid more than $125,000 per week. According to the Guardian, Mendy is seeking $12.6 million from Manchester City.
Benjamin Mendy puts up his house for sale as a last resort to avoid bankruptcy
Despite getting cleared of his ra*e and se*ual assault charges, things haven’t been well for Benjamin Mendy. The Lorient star’s financial condition has greatly deteriorated due to the trial. Mendy’s accountant has explained that the 29-year-old soccer star has had his financial resources depleted. The account has also revealed that Mendy’s legal expenses were more than $1.2 million.
Benjamin Mendy’s fight to clear his name in court has cost him over £1m, forcing him to sell property, supercars and watches.
The fairness of the criminal justice system is questionable and can leave even wealthy defendants bankrupt if they are ultimately acquitted. pic.twitter.com/W2rojVgIt0
— Nana Kwesi Eshun (@_NanaCwesi_) July 15, 2023
In addition to this, it has been reported that Mendy has a tax debt of around $1.01 million. This has led to HM Revenue and Customs seeking a bankruptcy order against the ex-Marseille star. This has led to Mendy putting up his house in Cheshire County for sale. The house, whose sale will be managed by the estate agent Savills, is reportedly worth around $6.3 million.
Although Benjamin Mendy didn’t appear at his bankruptcy hearing, the judge has given the soccer star time until October 4. As per reports, Judge Clive Jones has adjourned the proceedings till October so that Mendy can be allowed some time to sell his house. If the soccer star fails to sell his house and clear his debt by then, HMRC will force the Lorient defender to declare himself bankrupt.