Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy achieved a partial victory on Wednesday in his case against the English club over more than 11 million pounds ($14.3 million) in unpaid wages, after he was accused of committing sexual crimes and was acquitted of them.
The French international filed a case against Manchester City before the Labor Court last year, demanding unpaid wages and benefits since City stopped paying his salary in September 2021, until the end of his contract in June 2023.
In January 2023, Mendy was found not guilty.
Mendy said that Manchester City illegally deducted the wages owed to him under his contract, adding that the club had promised him his salary after his acquittal.
But Manchester City’s legal team said Mendy had not been paid because he was “unable to perform his duties… as a result of his actions”, after he was detained before his trial for breaching the terms of his bail.
Judge Joan Dunlop upheld part of Mindy’s case in a written ruling issued on Wednesday.
“Mr. Mendy is entitled to the majority, although not all, of his unpaid wages,” the court’s ruling said.
Dunlop said in her ruling that Mendy had served two periods in detention, covering approximately 5 months of the 22-month period he requested, during which Manchester City had the right to withhold his salary.
Dunlop found that Mendy was “ready and willing to work” when not in custody, and was prevented from doing so by obstacles such as his suspension by the FA and bail conditions “that were unavoidable or involuntary on his part”.
She added, “Under these circumstances, and in the absence of any authorization in the contract for the employer to withhold wages, the player was entitled to receive his wages.”
Manchester City did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was not immediately possible to obtain a comment from Mendy.
Mendy joined Manchester City from Monaco in 2017 for about 52 million pounds, with an annual salary of 6 million pounds.
Shortly after his retrial, he signed a contract with French club Lorient, which currently plays in the second division.
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