On Wednesday, Benjamin Mendy joined the French club Lorient, following his recent acquittal in a sex offences trial in England.
Mendy had previously played for Manchester City and represented the French national team.
“Lorient are happy to announce today the signing on a two-year deal of the French international left-back Benjamin Mendy,” the Ligue 1 club said in a statement.
Mendy, aged 29, was found not guilty of sex offences last week, which marked the conclusion of a three-year legal process.
In January, he was also acquitted of six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault after undergoing a six-month trial. If he had been convicted, Mendy would have faced a substantial prison sentence.
However, during that previous trial, the jury was unable to reach a verdict on two other counts, leading to a retrial that concluded last week.
Throughout the legal proceedings, Mendy consistently denied all the charges brought against him. His contract with Manchester City, the English and European champions, had expired at the end of June.
Lorient, who finished 10th in Ligue 1 last season behind champions Paris Saint-Germain, announced that Mendy would begin training with the team from Wednesday onwards, following a medical evaluation.
His arrival at the club occurred almost two years after he last played for Manchester City.
On the recent Friday at Chester Crown Court in northwest England, Benjamin Mendy, the 2018 World Cup winner, broke down emotionally upon hearing the not-guilty verdicts for one count of rape and one count of sexual assault.
Mendy had become the record signing for a defender when he transferred from French club Monaco to Manchester City in 2017, and during his time with City, he made 75 appearances. However, his playing opportunities were limited due to injuries and a decline in performance.
He earned his last of 10 caps for France in November 2019, following his contribution to France’s victory in the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The trials he faced resulted in him missing out on Manchester City’s triumphant season, where they secured a treble by winning the English Premier League, FA Cup, and Champions League.
