Benjamin Mendy has made an instant return to football just five days after being cleared of rape and attempted rape, with the former Manchester City defender joining French club Lorient.
Mendy, 28, was accused of carrying out sex attacks on two women at his £4million mansion, only to be cleared after three hours of deliberation by a jury at Chester Crown Court last Friday.
The France international had already been cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after a court case in January, yet faced a retrial on one count of rape and one count of attempted rape during lockdown-busting parties.
And five days after being cleared as a free man, Mendy has already returned to football by signing with Lorient.
In a club statement on Wednesday, the Ligue 1 outfit confirmed he is due to arrive at their training ground after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract. Mendy will wear the No 5 shirt.
Mendy, who last played for City back in August 2021, officially left the Premier League champions when his contract expired earlier this month. Lorient were therefore able to sign him on a free transfer.
Mendy wept when he was cleared last week, with his lawyers saying he will now go on to ‘rebuild his life’.
The emotional star declined to comment outside court only to say: ‘Alhamdulillah’ – an Arabic phrase meaning: ‘Praise be to God’.
Jenny Wiltshire, Head of Serious & General Crime at Hickman & Rose said: ‘Benjamin Mendy would like to thank the members of the jury for focussing on the evidence in this trial, rather than on the rumour and innuendo that have followed this case from the outset.
‘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.
‘It has been almost 3 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.’
Two days after being cleared of rape Mendy showed up to a local kick-about in Manchester donning his former team’s kit as he shook hands with local lads at the Powerleague venue.
The former Premier League star had turned up unannounced to the sports complex in Ardwick on Sunday, with pictures on Twitter showing him beaming and laughing while interacting with a group of local young fans.
Meanwhile in a series of videos on TikTok, he was seen posing for selfies with a group of amateur players in the locker room of the club, believed to be the Powerleague Manchester Central sports complex.
Mendy made 75 appearances for City from 2017 up until his final appearance in August 2021, winning three Premier League titles and two League Cups.
The player had previously plied his trade in France with Monaco, Marseille and Le Havre.
Now he is set to reignite his football career back in his home country with Lorient, who finished 10th in Ligue 1 last season.
The Brittany club were recently bought out by US businessman Bill Foley, who also owns Premier League team Bournemouth.
Foley is understood to have taken a 33 per cent slice of Lorient with a view to investing further at the end of the current season and a full takeover being completed in the future.
Content by: OLIVER SALT
