Manchester City releases Benjamin Mendy ahead of Rape trial

Manchester City has announced that Benjamin Mendy will be released by the club as his retrial for rape is scheduled to commence.

The 28-year-old defender’s contract with the Premier League champions will conclude at the end of this month.

Mendy, who became Manchester City’s most expensive player when he joined from Monaco for £52 million in 2017, has not featured in a match for the club in almost two years. Following his initial arrest in November 2020, he was subsequently suspended by the club in August 2021, following charges of rape and sexual assault involving multiple women.

The allegations against Mendy consisted of seven counts of rape against four women, an attempted rape charge involving a fifth woman, and an additional sexual assault charge against a sixth woman. During a five-month trial at Chester Crown Court, Mendy maintained that all the women involved had consented to sexual activity.

He vehemently denied accusations that he had groped a woman who alleged he sexually assaulted her at his Cheshire mansion during a party.

In February of this year, the former French international was unanimously cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault. However, a retrial was ordered after the jury failed to reach verdicts on a charge of rape against one woman and an attempted rape charge involving another.

Mendy’s co-defendant, Louis Saha Matturie, was acquitted of three charges of rape concerning two women. The jury could not reach a verdict on six other counts faced by Matturie, including four alleged rapes and the alleged sexual assault of two women.

The trial for those charges against Matturie is scheduled for the week commencing September 18.

Manchester City responded to the outcome of the initial trial with a statement: “Given there are open matters related to this case, the club is not in a position to comment further at this time.”

The club has now confirmed that Benjamin Mendy will depart when his contract expires on June 30, just days prior to the start of his retrial.

In addition to Benjamin Mendy, Terrell Agyemang, Rowan McDonald, and Ilkay Gundogan have also been listed on Manchester City’s released list. However, ongoing contract negotiations are underway with Gundogan regarding a potential new deal at the Etihad.

As the retrial approaches, the footballing community awaits further developments in this high-profile case, which has already had a significant impact on Benjamin Mendy’s professional career and personal life.

In other related news, Manchester City’s City rivals, United have confirmed they will be retaining Mason Greenwood in the squad ahead of next season, pending the club’s internal investigations over allegations of rape and domestic violence placed on him.