Benjamin Mendy #

Introduction #

Benjamin Mendy, the French professional footballer, spent nearly two years suspended by Manchester City after being charged with sexual offences in August 2021, and was ultimately acquitted of all charges by juries in two trials in 2023. In January 2023, a jury at Chester Crown Court found him not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, and in July 2023 a second jury found him not guilty of the remaining count of rape and one of attempted rape after a retrial. City released him when his contract expired in June 2023, and he has since resumed his career at clubs in France, Switzerland and Poland.

Background Information #

Mendy was born on July 17, 1994, in Longjumeau, France. He came through Le Havre’s youth academy before joining Ligue 1 side Marseille in 2013 and then Monaco in 2016, where he was part of the side that won the Ligue 1 title in 2016–17. In July 2017 he signed for Manchester City for a reported £52 million, then a world-record transfer fee for a defender, and won the Premier League in his first season in England. A left-back, he made 75 appearances for City, although injuries, including a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in 2017, repeatedly interrupted his time at the club. He won 10 caps for France and was part of the squad that won the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The Controversy or Incident That Led to Their Cancellation #

On 26 August 2021, Cheshire Constabulary charged Mendy with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, relating to alleged offences against three female complainants aged over 16 between October 2020 and August 2021, and remanded him in custody. His bail application was refused after he had broken earlier bail conditions that barred him from hosting house parties, and Manchester City suspended him pending trial. He never played for the club again: his last appearance was City’s opening Premier League match of the 2021–22 season against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2021, and he was suspended by the club later that month when he was arrested.

While in custody he was charged with three further counts of rape, and by the time of trial he faced eight counts of rape, one of attempted rape and one of sexual assault, to all of which he pleaded not guilty. He was granted bail in January 2022 on conditions including living at his home in Cheshire and surrendering his passport. He was accused alongside Louis Saha Matturie, described as an alleged “fixer”; the prosecution alleged that Mendy was a sexual “predator” who raped or sexually assaulted young women procured by Matturie at parties at his luxury home south of Manchester. Mendy denied ever forcing any woman into sex, saying any sexual activity was consensual.

The trial began on 10 August 2022 at Chester Crown Court. On 13 January 2023, the jury found Mendy not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault, while Matturie was acquitted of six counts of rape and three of sexual assault; the same jury could not reach verdicts on a further count of rape and one count of attempted rape against Mendy, and a retrial on those charges was ordered. In July 2023, at the retrial, a jury of six men and six women deliberating for more than three hours found him not guilty of the remaining count of rape and the count of attempted rape, completing his acquittal on every charge.

Public Reaction and Consequences #

Following his acquittal at the retrial, Mendy’s solicitor said in a statement: “Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focusing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset.” The statement added: “This is the second time that Mr Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury. He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts.” His lawyers also said the process had “inevitably had a serious impact on him” and asked for privacy “so he can begin rebuilding his life”.

After the acquittals, fellow footballers including Jack Grealish, Paul Pogba, Vinícius Júnior, Rio Ferdinand and Memphis Depay released messages of support, with Depay expressing concern about the lack of support Mendy received from FIFA, his club, the French national team and the Premier League during the legal process. Mendy later took Manchester City to an employment tribunal, claiming he was owed millions of pounds in unauthorised wage deductions after the club stopped paying him in September 2021; in November 2024 the tribunal found he was entitled to receive the majority of his unpaid salary.

Current Status #

Manchester City released Mendy when his contract expired on 30 June 2023. On 19 July 2023, 23 months after his last professional appearance, he signed a two-year contract with Ligue 1 club Lorient, making his return debut in September 2023 and scoring his first goal since his comeback in December 2023. After an injury-hit spell he left Lorient in February 2025 to sign for FC Zürich in the Swiss Super League, but that contract was dissolved by mutual agreement after about five months. He returned to competitive football with Polish club Pogoń Szczecin in September 2025, where he currently plays.

Impact on Their Career/Life #

The suspension cost Mendy nearly two years at the peak of his career: he did not play for Manchester City again after August 2021 and missed the club’s 2022–23 treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League while his trials were ongoing. He was released by City when his contract expired, ending a six-year stay at the club, and had to wait 23 months between his last match and his return to professional football.

The case also carried lasting financial and personal consequences: the employment tribunal later found he was entitled to the majority of the salary City had withheld, and his lawyers said the process had a serious impact on him before asking for privacy so he could begin rebuilding his life. It stands as one of the most high-profile cases of a football career being halted by criminal allegations that ended in full acquittals, with Mendy’s legal vindication in 2023 coming only after almost two years out of the game.