Jack Grealish, Paul Pogba and Rio Ferdinand are among the football stars to have sent their support to Benjamin Mendy after the former Man City defender was cleared of rape.
Ex-Premier League ace Memphis Depay backed the 28-year-old and questioned, ‘Who is f****** defending us athletes?’, in a message to Man City and the France national team.
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On Friday, Mendy was cleared of raping a young woman and trying to rape another, with the Frenchman now acquitted of all charges of sexual assault.
It comes almost two years after he was initially arrested over multiple accusations of rape at his home in England.
In January, Mendy was cleared of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in a first trial which lasted six months.
Friday’s verdict came in a second trial, which took three weeks, with Mendy breaking down in tears as the not-guilty verdicts were delivered by the jury at Chester Crown Court.
The World Cup winner had faced a lengthy jail sentence if convicted, but has now been cleared, and during a statement outside the courtroom his lawyer says he now asks for ‘privacy so he can begin rebuilding his life’.
Mendy was released by Man City at the end of the 2022/23 season at the end of his contract, having not played for the Premier League champions since being suspended by the club following his arrest in August 2021.
It means the defender is now a free agent and a free man, and former Manchester United midfielder Pogba was one of the first to send a message on social media to his international teammate.
Having seemingly video called the defender after the verdict, Pogba wrote on Instagram: “Al Hamdullilah [which means ‘praise be to God’ in Arabic].
“So happy for you bro. All the people that were talking bad about you, NOW I wanna see them cleaning your name. Can’t wait to see you on the pitch again.”
Ex-Red Devils forward Depay also sent a strong message on social media about Mendy and in the direction of Man City, the Premier League, the France national team and FIFA.
The Dutchman’s lengthy post sparked a lot of reaction from fellow top footballers – including England international Grealish and Arsenal defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, who played alongside Mendy at Man City.
“Benjamin Mendy – let’s talk about it,” Depay posted on his Instagram page.
“All cases dismissed. So what are we doing now? Who is going to help this brother heal? Who’s going to be responsible for the damage to his name?
“How is he going to have his career back? Many years of investment to become a professional football player… now what!?
“I’ve never touched on this subject because I didn’t know all the details, but I’ve spoken to him once through FaceTime while behind bars and faced him on the pitch a couple times… I didn’t see any evil in the man.
“We can’t accept this to happen to us as athletes.
“Who’s going to stand up for us in the time of need, not when the damage is already done?
“Don’t turn your head away people!
“FIFA, Premier League, Man City, France – who’s f****** defending us athletes? Where are the big corporations when we need them?
“Let’s all pray for Benjamin to get his mental health, physical and spiritual strength back!
“#dontturnyourheadawaypeople.”
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Zinchenko and Real Madrid’s Toni Ruediger were among those to respond to the post with clapping emojis, while Grealish wrote, ‘So true brother’.
Man United legend Rio Ferdinand also responded saying, ‘Loud and clear’.
