Benjamin Mendy, a former Manchester City left back, was found not guilty Friday in two rape cases during a retrial at Chester Crown Court in northwest England, according to Reuters.
He was previously found not guilty of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January, per The Associated Press, but the jury couldn’t reach verdicts on two other counts, which prompted Friday’s retrial.
“This is the second time that Mr. Mendy has been tried and found not guilty by a jury. He is delighted that both juries reached the correct verdicts,” Mendy’s solicitor said in a statement after the verdict, via Reuters. “It has been almost three years since the police started investigating this matter. Mr. Mendy has tried to remain strong but the process has, inevitably, had a serious impact on him.
“He thanks everyone who has supported him throughout this ordeal and now asks for privacy so he can begin rebuilding his life.”
Mendy, who will turn 29 this month, had also been found not guilty on Sept. 13, 2022, of one count of rape after the prosecution did not pursue a guilty verdict.
Allegations against Mendy originally surfaced in 2021, when he was charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault and taken into police custody in England. Man City immediately suspended Mendy and released him when his contract expired June 30, 2023.
The French defender last played for City on Aug. 15, 2021. He joined City in 2017 on a then-record transfer fee for a defenseman (around $68.17 million) and signed a six-year deal. Mendy played 50 games over that span following time in France’s Ligue 1 for Monaco, Marseille and Le Havre.
Mendy refused to answer questions about the future of his football career when asked by reporters after the trial.
