Benjamin Mendy given a standing ovation for his return to the field with Lorient, more than two years after his last match

His last official match was on August 15, 2021, against Tottenham. More than two years later, Benjamin Mendy once again set foot on the lawns of a professional championship, Sunday September 17, during Lorient’s draw against Monaco (2-2).

Targeted by several complaints of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, the former Manchester City player was then suspended by his club and imprisoned in August 2021, spending four months in pre-trial detention, before finally being found not guilty in June. If this decision put an end to all the procedures initiated against Mendy by the British justice system, it did not prevent the controversy over his surprise recruitment by Lorient, a few days later. On Sunday, he still received a standing ovation when he came on in the 70th minute.

Left free by the Cityzens, the 2018 world champion was recruited by the Breton club during the summer. An arrival which had caused “a certain discomfort” among the Merlus Ultras, the club’s main group of supporters. “Our role is not to replace justice. […] But we are fully aware that defending victims of sexist and sexual assault is essential.”wrote the group in a press release a few days after the announcement of its transfer in July.