In a significant legal victory, former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has won the majority of his employment tribunal claim against the club over £11.5 million in unpaid salary. The France international and World Cup winner was initially charged with s*x offenses, but was later cleared of all charges after two trials.
Employment Judge Joanne Dunlop, who presided over the case at the Manchester Employment Tribunal, concluded that Mendy is “entitled to recover some, but not all of the sums claimed.” The judge stated that while Mendy was not in custody, he was “ready and willing” to work but was “prevented from doing so which were unavoidable or involuntary on his part.” As a result, the judge determined that Mendy should have been paid during this period, as the club did not have the contractual authority to withhold his wages.
In a statement, Mendy expressed his delight with the tribunal’s decision, saying, “Today the Employment Tribunal upheld the main part of my claim against Manchester City Football Club for unpaid wages, finding that the club had unlawfully made deductions from my wages for a total period of 16 months and 23 days.” He added that he is hopeful 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.”
Mendy thanked his friends, family, agent, and legal team for their support throughout the legal proceedings. The exact amount he will receive from Manchester City is yet to be determined, as the details are still to be calculated by Mendy and the club, or decided at a future hearing if they cannot reach an agreement.
