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Benjamin Mendy has been reunited with Manchester City for a few days. But these reunions do not take place on a football field but in a court. Indeed, the Frenchman, who was found not guilty in a case of rape and sexual assault on July 14, 2023, is now attacking his former employer. The former OM and Monaco player criticizes the Skyblues for not having paid him his salary of €7.1 million per season for several months while he was awaiting his trial. Determined to recover his money (we are talking about a little over €13 million), Mendy is engaged in a legal standoff with the residents of the Etihad Stadium. THE Telegraph also published Frenchy’s written statements on Monday concerning the Premier League team and the management of his personal case.
The Frenchman’s heavy accusations
“Several Manchester City first team players, including the club captain, were all present at the parties I attended and organized (…) We all drank alcohol. We’ve all had casual relationships with women. We have all broken Covid-19 restrictions. That doesn’t excuse my behavior, but I think it’s unfair for Manchester City to target me in the way they did. The difference between me and the other Manchester City players is that it was me who was falsely accused of rape and publicly humiliated (…) I can’t help but think that the club is trying to make it appear that I I was acting recklessly, and that my alleged recklessness led to me being arrested for crimes I did not commit. I would just like to point out that at the time in question I was not doing anything different to several players in the Manchester City first team. »
He later clarified: “I was just as ready, willing and able to carry out my duties as the other Manchester City players who Manchester City knew had attended the parties and who, from Manchester City’s point of view, acted recklessly . I am, however, not aware of Manchester City deducting or suspending the wages of any of the other players, even when it was common knowledge that these players had attended the parties. “So I find it incredibly unfair that Manchester City effectively left me out of the team when I wasn’t doing anything different to the rest of the team.” Benjamin Mendy, who indicated that several former teammates had helped him financially (Raheem Sterling, Riyad Mahrez and Bernardo Silva), received a response yesterday from the English champions, through their lawyer Sean Jones.
Man City remains solid on its support
During the hearing which took place in Manchester, he said of the player, who listened to his remarks via video link: “The essence of Mr. Mendy’s argument is that his contract creates a moral hazard. I can behave as irresponsibly as I want, I can ignore all the rules, both legal, club and common sense to the point that my behavior lands in prison. He tries to turn a moral hazard into a virtue. He said: “This should in no way affect my right to pay. There should be no consequences for my behavior. The employment contract is at its heart a work/salary agreement. He should be able to play and he could not because of his behavior We are not here saying that he committed rape and assault and that he was not presumed guilty. Those are not the allegations in. himself, it was the way he behaved under police caution which made the detention inevitable. The culpability is very clear. He had, in whole or in part, contributed to the prevention of his functions.
City’s lawyer added: “the question of whether his salary was payable is not a question of discipline. The reason is not that he was the subject of a disciplinary sanction, but because he was not able to carry out his duties.” He then clarified that the argument put forward by Mendy, regarding the fact that his former teammates also participated in the celebrations, was “a decoy” because they were always “ready, able and willing” to play and train. Manchester City, “which denies breaching labor law and asserts that the player breached his contract by bringing the club into disrepute and engaging in behavior that prevented him from playing or training” according to The Sundon’t plan to let it happen. The English tabloid recalls that on Monday, Omar Berrada (former director of football operations at City) denied having told the Frenchman’s agent that the left-back would receive his salary if he was ever released. The standoff continues…
