Manchester City are facing a 'multi-million pound' lawsuit from one of their former players amid uncertainty over their Premier League Financial Fair Play (FFP) punishment.
Earlier this year, the English champions were charged with 115 breaches of the financial regulations that spread over a nine-year period, which started in 2009 and goes on until 2018. In that period, City lifted three league titles.
Following Everton's 10-point deduction last week, attention on Man City's case has intensified with talk of a possible points deduction and relegation out of the top flight discussed as possible punishments. However, the Etihad Stadium side face another unwanted situation.
Former City defender Benjamin Mendy has launched legal action against the club in a bid to reclaim lost earnings that total £10million. The 29-year-old was cleared of rape and attempted rape at a retrial last summer but the club had stopped paying his wages in September 2021.
A statement from Nick De Marco KC, acting on behalf of Mendy, read: "Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offences all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023.
"The claim will come before an Employment Tribunal."
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Mendy, who is currently playing for Ligue 1 side FC Lorient, spent more than four months in custody before being released on bail. His conditions did not allow him to enter the county of Greater Manchester, the location of City's home matches and training, and he had to surrender his passport.
The claim comes after a bankruptcy order against Mendy worth over £788,000 tax debt was seen by HMRC. Mendy has been attempting to sell his £5million house in England, with the Sun recently reporting that £750,000 has been taken off the original asking price.
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