Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has won his employment tribunal case, with a judge ruling that he is entitled to “the majority of his unpaid salary” from the Premier League club. Mendy, who was cleared last year of rape and sexual assault charges, brought the claim for around £11 million in unpaid wages following his suspension without pay in September 2021.
Mendy’s suspension lasted from September 2021 until his contract expired in June 2023. During this period, Manchester City withheld pay, arguing that his legal issues and bail conditions prevented him from fulfilling his contractual obligations. Judge Joanne Dunlop, however, found that Mendy was “ready and willing” to work when he was not in custody, stating that the suspension and bail conditions were “unavoidable or involuntary” on Mendy’s part.
The tribunal ruling allows City to withhold Mendy’s pay only for the five months he spent in custody. The exact amount owed to Mendy will be determined through negotiations between his legal team and the club, or at a future hearing if an agreement cannot be reached.
Mendy expressed his satisfaction with the decision, stating, “I am delighted with the decision and sincerely hope that 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.”
Manchester City has declined to comment on the ruling.
The former France international, who joined City from Monaco for £52 million in 2017, saw his career and reputation affected by the charges, which he described as false. After his contract with City expired, Mendy signed with French club Lorient.
The case also highlighted internal disputes, with Mendy’s lawyers claiming that City’s former chief football operations officer, Omar Berrada, had assured him of salary payments if found not guilty—a claim Berrada denied. Judge Dunlop noted that any such assurances were legally “irrelevant” to the tribunal’s decision.
