Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy says "several" teammates went to his Cheshire sex parties
Former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy has told a tribunal that his teammates participated in his alcohol-fueled parties, saying “We all had casual relations with women.”
Mendy, 30, is seeking £11m in unpaid wages after they were halted when he was arrested on rape charges, for which he was later acquitted.
In a statement presented to the employment tribunal, Mendy said: “Several Manchester City first-team players, including the club captain, were all present at parties that I attended and hosted.
“We all drank alcohol. We all had casual relations with women. We all breached Covid-19 restrictions. This does not excuse my behaviour, but I feel that it is unfair for Manchester City to single me out in the way that they have.
“The difference between me and the other players is that I was the one that was falsely accused of rape and publicly humiliated.”
Referring to a previous article in the Athletic, which named Riyad Mahrez, Jack Grealish, Kyle Walker, John Stones and Raheem Sterling as players who went to these parties, Mendy said he could “confirm this is true”. But the defender, who now plays for French club Lorient, did not specifically name the players involved.
The Premier League club ceased paying his £500,000-a-month salary after he was charged with rape and sexual assault in August 2021 and taken into custody.
Several women accused Mendy of rape at his £4.6m mansion in Prestbury, Cheshire. Mendy's lawyer, Nick De Marco, informed the tribunal that five City players attended parties hosted by Mendy.
The French defender, who claims the club violated his contract, gave his testimony via video link at the Manchester tribunal. Mendy, a World Cup winner, had signed a £6m-a-year contract through 2023 after his £52m transfer from Monaco in 2017. The club continued to pay his salary after his initial arrest in 2020, with Mendy providing an address in Madrid.
Following his charges, Mendy was suspended by both Manchester City and the FA. He spent four months in custody before being granted bail in January 2022. In September 2021, City officials informed Mendy that his wages would be stopped.