The trial of Benjamin Mendy has begun at Chester Crown Court and the 28-year-old is accused of eight counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault.
Mendy has been suspended by Manchester City since August 2021 after his arrest and the subsequent police investigation undertaken, though he has denied all charges faced.
Where will Manchester City finish in the Premier League this season?
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th or lower
The French international’s trial isn’t likely to be concluded until midway through the season and it isn’t likely that he’ll play another competitive game for the club, so Mark O’Neill of Sport Law Musing said in 2021 that City may be ‘entitled to seek compensation’ for Mendy being in breach of his contract.
His last appearance for City was August 2021’s 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, so Mendy has earned £90k-per-week/£4.7m-a-year for 12 months while suspended. That means City have a right to request that money back, let alone sue the defender for the £52m spent on signing him in 2017.
City agreed a six-year deal with Mendy but will only get four years of service if he’s suspended for the last two, so that’s grounds for litigation. O’Neill noted how Chelsea successful sued Adrian Mutu for him breaching his contract after sacking him in 2005 for gross misconduct for a failed drugs test, so Mendy’s case could go the same way.
City haven’t rushed to dismiss him prematurely, however, as Jack Pitt-Brooke of The Athletic noted in July that Mendy could sue the club for unlawful sacking if found not-guilty in court. But the Premier League defending champions are within their right to suspend him pending the trial without opening themselves up to legal action.
In other news, Liam Delap should be excited by loan move but could resent Pep Guardiola