Benjamin Mendy signs for French club Lorient after sex trial acquittal

Benjamin Mendy on Wednesday signed for French club Lorient after the former Manchester City and France defender was acquitted in a sex offences trial in England last week.

The Ligue 1 club said in a statement, “Lorient are happy to announce today the signing on a two-year deal of the French international left-back Benjamin Mendy,” stating that Mendy would start training from Wednesday after taking a medical.

Mendy, 29, was cleared of sex offences last week, ending a three-year court process.

After a six-month trial, Mendy, who would have risked a significant jail sentence if found guilty, was exonerated in January of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.

However, two other counts in that trial were left unresolved by the jury, leading to the retrial that was concluded last week.

Mendy, whose contract with Manchester City, the reigning English and European champions, expires at the end of June, had refuted all of the accusations.

Nearly two years have passed since his last game for Manchester City before his arrival at the club.

The 2018 World Cup winner sobbed last Friday at Chester Crown Court in northwest England following the verdicts of not guilty on one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.

Mendy, a record signing for a defender when he moved to Manchester City from French club Monaco in 2017, played 75 times for City.

But his playing time was limited by injuries and a loss of form.

The last of his 10 caps for France came in November 2019, after the defender won the World Cup with the national side in 2018 in Russia.