Benjamin Mendy was cleared of all charges of sex offences by a UK jury on Friday (July 14). Several players from the footballing world, including Memphis Depay and Jack Grealish, stood by the former Manchester City player after the verdict.
The 28-year-old had already been cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in January (via Times of India). Mendy was acquitted of the remaining count of rape and attempted rape in the latest trial.
Following the Frenchman's acquittal, Depay wrote on his Instagram:
He added:
A number of other stars, including Jack Grealish, Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger, reacted to the Netherlands international's message and expressed their solidarity with Mendy.
Instagram Post
Former Manchester United star Paul Pogba also shared his support for Mendy. The France international wrote on Instagram:
Benjamin Mendy's lawyers reacted to the verdict of the jury to acquit the player of all charges of sexual crimes against him. Despite the decision, the legal representatives of the left-back claim that the process has taken a serious toll on him.
Speaking after acquittal in both trials, Mendy's lawyers said (via Times of India):
At the moment, Mendy is without a club. His contract at Manchester City expired at the end of June. He joined the Cityzens from AS Monaco in the summer of 2017 and made 75 appearances across all competitions for the Premier League outfit.
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