Does his new club also sort him out?
The deep crash of a soccer world champion
April 18, 2025 – 4:34 p.m.Reading time: 3 min.
Seven years ago, Benjamin Mendy was one of the best players in the world in his position. Today the world of the French is completely different.
In summer 2017, Manchester City paid almost 58 million euros to AS Monaco. The reason: Benjamin Mendy. The talented Frenchman should reinforce the left side of the “Skyblues”. Sports director Txiki Begiristain spoke of “one of the best full -back in the world”, the fans were thrilled. Mendy immediately played an important role in City, but injured the cruciate ligament early in the season. Nevertheless, he became fit in time to take part in the World Cup in Russia in summer 2018.
The outcome of the tournament is known: Mendy and the “Équipe tricolore” became world champions. In France and Manchester, he developed into a fan favorite due to his charismatic way.
A few years and Premier League championships later, the mood around Mendy was completely different. In August 2021, Mendy was arrested by the police. Several women accused the Frenchman to have raped them or have sexually assaulted them. The accused denied the deeds. After a year and a half he was acquitted, the jury considered the evidence insufficient. Critics of the judgment noted that such evidence was also difficult, after all, Mendy would have decreased her mobile phones to the plaintiffs. The footballer replied that the women could have had them again at any time.
The process had an impact in any case. Mendy’s contract in Manchester had expired, he joined FC Lorient in France in the summer of 2023. With the club from the northwest of the country, he relegated from Ligue 1 in his first year. Coach Olivier Pantaloni sorted Mendy together with other actors after relegation. At a press conference, he said: “You know that you are players that I don’t really want to have in terms of sport. I don’t want the team to be disturbed by players who don’t really want to be here.”
He only found a new club in February this year. FC Zurich signed Mendy, hoping for new impetus from the left -back. But reality is different. The now 30 -year -old world champion brings more unrest into the team than quality. The “Women’s Center Zurich” accused the club: “With this obligation, the FCZ contributes to the Rape Culture! A culture that protects perpetrators and downplayed violence on women.” In addition, fans of the club against Mendy also protested.
The vertebrae for the French grew even greater in the current week. After the disappointing 0: 4 home clap in the “classic” against FC Basel Last weekend, he was seen in Zurich in the morning in Zurich. It wasn’t particularly well received in the club and fans. Coach Ricardo Moniz made it clear: “After a 0: 4, you can’t allow yourself that to the fans.”
Moniz also admitted that the newcomer lacks the necessary fitness: “We have to be honest, everyone saw that. He didn’t bring what you can expect from a player with his status.”
To make matters worse, the doctors of FC Zurich noticed a muscle fiber tear at Mendy, which he probably sustained in the game against Basel. The left -back will now be missing for weeks. Despite his contract, his future with the Swiss ex-master is open until 2026: “He has not yet shown that he is an option, you have to be honest.”
So Mendy is threatening another change in the coming summer. A violent crash of the former world champion.