Benjamin Mendy ‘borrowed money from team-mates’ after Man City stopped paying wages, court hears | British News

Benjamin Mendy was loaned money by Manchester City teammates when the club stopped paying him after he was accused of rape and sexual assault, an employment tribunal has heard.

Current and former players Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez have backed the France international, who now claims the Premier League champions owe him £11.5million in unpaid wages.

The 30-year-old’s £500,000 monthly salary was withheld by the club after he was charged in 2021, the court was told.

The World Cup winner was subsequently acquitted.

Mr Mendy, who now plays for French Ligue 2 club Lorient, filed an employment tribunal case against Manchester City, claiming “unauthorized deductions” from wages.

His contract stipulated that he would also receive a £900,000 bonus for attending 60% of games, a £1m bonus if City qualified for the Champions League and an annual payment of £1.2m .£ to his image rights company.

Court documents submitted to the employment tribunal in Manchester said Mr Mendy was “running out of money very quickly”.

He then had to sell his Cheshire mansion to cover legal fees, bills and child support after his wages were withheld.

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Mr Mendy said his agent, Meissa N’diaye, had covered his legal costs, while teammates, including England international Sterling, had offered “financial support”.

“Raheem Sterling, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all lent me money to help me pay my legal fees and support my family,” he said in his testimony.

Mr Mendy, appearing via videolink, told the tribunal that he and his agent had been assured by Omar Berrada, Man City’s then chief football operating officer, that he would receive his outstanding salary once he was cleared of the allegations had been.

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The court heard that the footballer sent Mr Berrada a WhatsApp message in November 2022 asking him if he could confirm the payment of wages in writing.

But Mr. Berrada did not respond to the message and denied ever making such an assurance.

After his acquittal, Mr Mendy emailed Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Manchester City’s Emirati chief executive, but again received no reply.

The club continued to make payments to Mr Mendy after his initial arrest in November 2020, but argued that he was subsequently no longer required to do so as his bail conditions and Football Association ban meant he was unable to fulfill his duties as a player.

Mr Mendy was found not guilty in January 2023 on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, but the same jury was unable to reach a verdict on another count of rape and one count of attempted rape.

A retrial took place and Mendy was found not guilty of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape.

In April, a High Court tax debt case against Mr Mendy was dismissed after he paid a £700,000 bill.

The labor court is expected to last two days.