Mendy returns to Ligue 1 after escaping rape conviction

On May 19, Mendy passed the medical examination and posed for a debut photo with the orange and white Lorient jersey. The contract between the two parties is valid until the summer of 2025.

According to Le Parisien, Lorient has been negotiating personal terms with the French defender since last month. At the new club, Mendy will wear the number 5 shirt, instead of the familiar number 22 when playing for Man City or the French team.

Minutes after announcing the contract with Mendy, Lorient's homepage was overloaded and inaccessible. According to British newspaper Sunsport, fans flooded Lorient's homepage to read the press release, and the problem was fixed not long after.

If he is in good shape, Mendy can immediately join the pre-season training period, when Lorient will meet Guinpamp on July 22, Le Havre on July 29, Nantes on August 2 and Bournemouth on August 5. This club will play the opening match of Ligue 1 at PSG's Parc des Princes on August 13. Last season, Lorient finished 10th in Ligue 1, and did not attend the European Cup in the 2023-2024 season.

Mendy's new teammates at Lorient include former Arsenal and Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone and Roman Faivre, a midfielder on loan from Bournemouth.

The Lorient contract opens the door to Mendy's return to professional play, just five days after being found not guilty by a jury at Chester Crown Court of rape and attempted rape. He had to spend nearly three years in prison, his salary was cut by Man City from September 2021 and his contract expired in June 2023. The last time the 29-year-old defender played was when Man City lost to Tottenham 0-2 in August 2021.

Mendy began his professional career at Le Havre in 2011 and then played for Marseille in 2013-2016 and Monaco in 2016-2017. The French defender joined Man City for 67.5 million from Monaco in the summer of 2017 and became the most expensive defender in the world at that time. He played 75 games in all competitions, winning six titles, including three Premier League titles, two League Cups and an English Super Cup. On average, Mendy won a trophy in 12 appearances for Man City.

At the national team level, Mendy played for U16, U17, U18, U19, U21 and made ten appearances for France. He was a member of the France team that won the 2018 World Cup, playing 40 minutes in a 0-0 draw with Denmark in the group stage.