A week on from being cleared of one charge of rape and another of attempted rape, Benjamin Mendy made an unexpectedly swift return to professional football, with Ligue 1 side Lorient announcing his arrival on a two-year deal on Wednesday morning.
The left-back had not played professional football since his arrest in August of 2021. After he was found not guilty of six charges of rape and one of sexual assault back in January, the final two charges against the Frenchman have now been dismissed.
As indicated by Le Parisien, Les Merlus first moved to sign the World Cup winner well before his acquittal. The Ligue 1 side had reached out a month ago to his agent Meïssa N’diaye, who also represents the club’s head coach Régis Le Bris. Le Parisien have sought to reach N’diaye for comment, but the agent has not responded.
L’Équipe indicate that Lorient were not the only club in the race for his signing. Burnley, via their manager and Mendy’s former teammate Vincent Kompany, had shown an interest. Olympiacos as well as several French clubs – and teams from further afield – also emerged as potential options. The former Marseille and Monaco man instead makes his return to professional football with the Bretons, who finished in 10th place last season.
GFFN | Raphaël Jucobin
