Manchester City and France international footballer Benjamin Mendy

Manchester City and France international footballer Benjamin Mendy arrives to Chester Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing. Photo: AFP

Man City star Mendy appears in court, faces nine ‘sexual offences’ charges

Manchester City and France footballer Benjamin Mendy has appeared in court to respond to charges of seven counts of rape.

Manchester City and France international footballer Benjamin Mendy

Manchester City and France international footballer Benjamin Mendy arrives to Chester Crown Court for a pre-trial hearing. Photo: AFP

Benjamin Mendy is due to face trial on July 25, but on Monday he appeared at court where he entered not guilty pleas to nine charges of sexual offences against six women.

These charges included seven counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape, relating to six complainants.

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All the offences are alleged to have taken place at his home near Macclesfield, northwest England, between October 2018 and August 2021.

Mendy will face the charges along with his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 40, who also entered not guilty pleas to all charges.

Matturie is faced with eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault, relating to eight young women. 

Mendy is 27-year-old and was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018

After coming through Le Havre’s youth academy, Mendy began his playing career with the club’s reserve team in 2010, eventually being promoted to the first team a year later. He remained with the club until 2013, when he joined Ligue 1 club Marseille. Mendy spent the next three seasons with Les Olympiens before leaving for Monaco, with whom he won the national championship in 2016–17.

In the summer of 2017, Mendy moved to English club Manchester City on a then world-record transfer fee for a defender. He subsequently won the Premier League in his first season in England.

Mendy made his senior debut for France in 2017 after previously being capped by France youth teams at all levels. He was chosen in France’s squad for the 2018 World Cup which they won.

On 21 August 2021 Manchester City announced his suspension pending a police investigation into rape allegations. Mendy was arrested, but released on bail on 7 January 2022.

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