Sexual assault acquittal → first appearance in two years…starts new life away from Man City
Benjamin Mendy made his debut for FC Lorient.
Lorient drew 2-2 with AS Monaco in the fifth round of the 2023-24 French Ligue 1 at Stade Mustua in Lorient, France, on Sunday at 8 p.m. ET. With the one point, Lorient moved into 12th place in the league.
The game was tight. Lorient took the lead in the second minute through Tosin Aiyegun, but were soon leveled by Alexandre Golovin. Monaco striker Paulin Balogun pulled a goal back for Lorient in the second half, but Romain Fabregas’ dramatic equalizer in stoppage time secured a point. 메이저사이트
While the match was a fiercely contested affair, one player stole the show. It was Mendy, who took the field in the 25th minute of the second half after being substituted for Vincent Le Gauff. Mendy, who joined Lorient in the summer transfer window, played around 30 minutes of stoppage time to make his Lorient debut.
Mendy’s debut for Lorient made waves in England. “Former Manchester City defender Mendy made his debut for Lorient,” wrote The Athletic. Mendy signed for Lorient just five days after being acquitted of sexual assault and was included in the squad for the game against Monaco, coming on as a second-half substitute. It was his first appearance since August 2021.”
Mendy has not played since August 2021, when he began to be investigated for sexual assault. City issued an official statement shortly afterward saying that they had suspended Mendy because he was being investigated by the police, and that they were unable to comment pending the outcome.
The situation seemed pretty serious. Local reports indicate that Mendy has been charged with a total of nine sex offenses. Mendy spent two years in and out of police stations, jails, and courts, during which time he was given the ignominious title of criminalized soccer player.
Mendy was cleared after two years. In July, Mendy was acquitted of all charges. After his acquittal, Mendy decided to leave City, and luckily for him, he found a new home in Lorient.