Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy has won the majority of his £11-million claim for unpaid wages against the four-time reigning English champions.
Mendy took City to a two-day employment tribunal in Manchester last month, claiming the club had wrongly stopped his £500,000 a month salary when he was remanded in custody in August 2021 after being charged with sex offences.
Tribunal judge Joanne Dunlop ruled on Wednesday that Mendy is entitled to a multi-million pound payout for unauthorised deductions from his wages by the club.
Judge Dunlop concluded that a suspension the France international received from the Football Association (FA) was an impediment to fulfilling his contract to train and play for City, which was “involuntary” or “unavoidable” on Mendy’s part.
She said Mendy’s bail conditions were influenced, at least indirectly, by the FA suspension and were themselves an involuntary or unavoidable impediment.
The club were therefore not entitled to withhold his pay, and his contract with City contained no provision allowing them to withhold wages where an FA suspension and/or bail prevented him from playing football.
Mendy spent two periods in custody, which accounted for approximately five months of the 22-month period covered by his claim, and the total amount he is entitled to will now be agreed by his lawyers and Manchester City.
The defender was acquitted of rape and sex assault charges in 2023.
Source: Africanews
