FILE PHOTO: Former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy leaves Chester Crown Court after being found not guilty on July 14, 2023 in Chester, England. PICTURE: CNN
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0 MANCHESTER: Following his acquittal, an emotional Mendy chanted ‘Alhamdulillah,’ which praise be to God in Arabic, as he exited the courthouse.
French footballer Benjamin Mendy has been acquitted of rape and attempted rape by the Chester Crown Court on Friday, 14 July 2023. He had been accused of raping a 24-year-old woman at his house in 2020 and attempted rape of a 29-year-old woman at the same residence in 2018.
During the period in which the allegations had been levelled against him, the defender maintained his innocence. Following his acquittal, an emotional Mendy chanted ‘Alhamdulillah,’ which praise be to God in Arabic, as he exited the courthouse, with a video of him in this regard has gone viral on social media.
The Frenchman, who has been accused of numerous allegations of sexual abuse in recent times, was also in court earlier this year. In January 2023, he was acquitted of raping four women and of sexual assault on another woman at his residence.
Mendy, who was part of France’s 2018 FIFA World Cup winning squad, last played for his former club Manchester City in August 2021. Prior to his arrest, the Citizens had already suspended him. Thereafter, the English Premier League (EPL) champions released him when his contract ended in June 2023.
As it stands, Mendy is without a club. Although he has not played football in a long time, he still has age on his side to pick up the pieces of what was a glittering career, which includes three EPL league titles and a world cup.
When Mendy arrived in England from Monaco in 2017, he was one of the most expensive defenders in Europe, as the Citizens reportedly forked out about £52 million for his service. Now the former Citizen is a free agent during this summer transfer market.
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