Benjamin Mendy has returned to the world of professional football after being cleared of rape allegations that put his career on hold for more than two years. The French international had faced accusations of assaulting two women during lockdown-breaking gatherings at his Cheshire residence while he was playing for the Premier League champions, Manchester City. In July, after three hours of deliberation, Mendy, aged 29, was acquitted, with a jury finding him not guilty of one count of rape and one count of attempted rape.
Following these verdicts, he was granted the opportunity to make his comeback in football and was swiftly signed by Ligue 1 club FC Lorient.
Mendy's triumphant return to the pitch took place on a Sunday afternoon in a match against his former club, Monaco, at the Stade du Moustoir. He came on as a second-half substitute, taking the place of Vincent Le Goff. This marked his return after an absence of 25 months from the world of professional football.
At the time of his substitution, Lorient was trailing 2-1, but they managed to secure a point with a remarkable 98th-minute equalizer courtesy of Romain Faivre, who is currently on loan from Bournemouth.
To provide some context, Mendy's last professional match was with Manchester City, where they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in North London back in August 2021. Just 11 days later, the club suspended him following the rape charges and initiated an investigation.