Ex-Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has won the majority of his employment tribunal claim against the club over £11.5m in unpaid salary the club withheld from him after he was charged with sex offences.
The France international and World Cup winner was later cleared of all charges after two trials.
Employment judge Joanne Dunlop said she had concluded that Mendy is “entitled to recover some, but not all of the sums claimed”, following a hearing at Manchester Employment Tribunal.
Ms Dunlop said that while Mr Mendy was not in custody, he was “ready and willing” to work and was “prevented from doing so which were unavoidable or involuntary on his part”.
“In those circumstances, and absent any authorisation in the contract for the employer to withhold pay, he was entitled to be paid.”
The exact amount he will receive is to be calculated by Mendy and the club, or determined at a future hearing if they cannot reach an agreement.
A statement from Mendy read: “Today the Employment Tribunal upheld the main part of my claim against Manchester City Football Club for unpaid wages, finding that the club had unlawfully made deductions from my wages for a total period of 16 months and 23 days.
“Having had to wait for three years for my wages, 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.
“I would like to thank my friends, family, agent (Meissa N’Diaye) and my legal team (Nick De Marco KC, Laffer Abogados and Fletcher Sports Law) for all of their support.”
