Benjamin Mendy released by Swiss club after just EIGHT games after partying antics left club bosses furious
Mendy, 31, joined Zurich in February and agreed a contract running until the summer of 2026 after his short spell with French side Lorient.
But he made less than 10 appearances over his five-month stay and saw his deal ripped up by mutual consent after his behaviour was criticised.
A statement released on the club website read: 'FC Zurich announces that the contract with French defender Benjamin Mendy has been terminated by mutual consent. He is leaving the city club with immediate effect.
'FCZ wishes Benjamin Mendy all the best for his private and sporting future.'
According to Mundo Deportivo, Mendy's questionable off-field antics culminated in the axe being brought down. Indeed, it has been claimed that he angered Zurich's hierarchy after partying just hours after a 4-0 defeat by rivals Basel in April.
𝐕𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐬𝐚𝐮𝐟𝐥𝐨̈𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐞𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐦 𝐄𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐡𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐲
Der FC Zürich gibt bekannt, dass der Vertrag mit dem französischen Verteidiger Benjamin Mendy in gegenseitigem Einvernehmen aufgelöst wurde. Er… pic.twitter.com/yHkhHU23zh
— FC Zürich (@fc_zuerich) July 21, 2025
Benjamin Mendy has been released by his latest club after angering club bosses
The incident led manager Ricardo Moniz to openly take aim at Mendy in the press.
'Mendy didn't perform as expected of a player of his calibre,' said Moniz. 'His physical condition isn't up to what we expect from a player in this league.
'After a 4–0 defeat, you can't afford to do that to the supporters.'
Zurich president Ancillo Canepa was similarly unimpressed with the former French international, saying: 'It's certainly not what we expected. Mentally and physically, he wasn't at his best at all, played very badly, conceded goals and got injured.
'All in all, it wasn't a happy story.'
Mendy's move to Switzerland came after he was suspended by City in August 2021 after being charged with multiple counts of rape and one alleged sexual assault.
He was cleared of six counts of rape and one of sexual assault, and subsequently cleared of a further count of rape and one attempted rape in a retrial in July 2023.
Mendy then successfully took City to an employment tribunal over unpaid wages with a judge ruling he was entitled to the 'majority of his unpaid salary' from the club.
The veteran went on to sign a deal with Lorient but played just 15 games.
He made 75 appearances during his six-year spell at the Etihad, winning three Premier League titles under Pep Guardiola in 2018, 2019 and 2021.
Mendy, who joined City in a £52million deal in July 2017, then a world-record fee for a defender, was part of France's World Cup-winning squad in 2018.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
France to PAUSE all evacuations of Palestinian asylum seekers from Gaza pending outcome of anti-semitism investigation
France has paused its programme to receive Palestinians fleeing conflict-torn Gaza. The suspension is pending the outcome of an investigation into how a student accused of sharing antisemitic posts was allowed into the country, the French foreign minister said on Friday. The move comes after officials said the female student from Gaza will have to leave France after the Sciences Po university in the northern city of Lille revoked her accreditation over the online posts. 'No evacuation of any kind will take place until we have drawn conclusions from this investigation,' Jean-Noel Barrot told French radio. All Gazans who have entered France through the scheme will undergo a second screening, he added. France has helped more than 500 people leave Gaza since the latest war, which was triggered by the October 7, 2023 attacks. Sciences Po Lille said that after consultations with the education ministry and regional authorities, it 'has decided to cancel this student's planned registration at our establishment'. Following the recommendation by French diplomats, the woman initially lived at the home of the university's director while she waited for permanent lodgings, Sciences Po said. A French diplomatic source said the student arrived in France on July 11 on a scholarship based on 'academic excellence' and after 'security checks'. Lille's general prosecutor said on Thursday that a judicial probe has been opened against the student for allegedly trying to "justify terrorism" and "justify a crime against humanity". Screenshots of posts the student allegedly shared in September - published by pro-Israel accounts on X - include an image of Adolf Hitler and words appearing to call for the death of Jews. The account attributed to the student has been taken offline after French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau demanded it be closed down, describing the post as 'unacceptable and concerning'. 'Hamas propagandists have no place in our country,' he wrote on X. Mr Barrot confirmed that Palestinians already in France through this scheme will be 'subject to a new check' after 'failures that brought this young woman here'. 'A Gazan student making antisemitic remarks has no place in France,' said Mr Barrot, who added that he had ordered an internal inquiry. 'The screening carried out by the relevant departments of the ministries concerned clearly did not work,' he added in a post on X. The woman had been offered a place at the Sciences Po Lille university as part of the programme run by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the director of the university told French newspaper Libération.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: Benjamin Sesko 'decides' between Man United and Newcastle as transfer saga finally nears end
Benjamin Sesko has reportedly made his decision on where he will be playing next season following months of speculation. The RB Leipzig striker has been at the centre of a fierce transfer battle between Manchester United and Newcastle, with both clubs identifying the 22-year-old as a key summer target. Now, a report in Slovenia claims the highly rated forward has settled on his next move — and it could trigger a major shake-up in the Premier League 's striker market. According to Delo, Sesko has decided to join Newcastle , with the Magpies beating off strong competition from Old Trafford to land one of Europe's most promising young attackers. The Slovenian outlet reports that Newcastle's proposal won out after a drawn-out saga that saw Arsenal, United, and Newcastle all linked. Arsenal dropped out earlier this summer, opting instead for Viktor Gyokeres, while United had turned their full attention to Sesko after ending their pursuit of Aston Villa 's Ollie Watkins. United's interest was led by director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, who previously worked with Sesko at RB Salzburg and has described the 6ft 4in forward as having the potential to become one of the world's top strikers. Manager Ruben Amorim had also made him a priority, having already brought in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to strengthen the attack. But Sesko is now said to have chosen Newcastle — a decision that may be closely tied to the uncertain future of Alexander Isak. Mail Sport revealed on Friday that Liverpool had a £110million bid for Isak rejected, with Newcastle holding out for £150m. Isak is believed to be pushing for a move and has been training alone at former club Real Sociedad, having pulled out of the Magpies' pre-season tour with an apparent thigh issue. Newcastle have made clear that no sale will go ahead unless a suitable replacement is secured — and Sesko has long been top of their wishlist. The Bundesliga side signed Sesko from Red Bull Salzburg in 2023 and have an informal agreement to allow him to leave if a suitable offer is made. It is understood that Newcastle will be expected to pay Leipzig somewhere between £60m and £70m plus add-ons. Sesko scored 21 goals in all competitions last season and has 16 goals in 41 senior appearances for Slovenia. He has drawn comparisons to Erling Haaland for his blend of height, pace and technical ability — and is seen by Newcastle as a ready-made replacement should Isak get his wish. As for Man United, they may now be forced to explore alternatives. Amorim's side struggled badly in front of goal last season and were hoping Sesko would be the final piece in a new-look forward line. Rasmus Hojlund's future remains unclear, with the Dane insisting he wants to stay and fight for his place — but competition was always expected. United have also made enquiries about Brentford's Yoane Wissa, while Wolves' Jorgen Strand Larsen has been discussed too.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
Katie Taylor's dad CONFIRMS legendary daughter's relationship status after pics emerge of her wearing ‘wedding ring'
KATIE TAYLOR'S dad Pete has confirmed that the Irish boxing legend is married. In pics ahead of her trilogy bout against Amanda Serrano, the Wicklow fighter appeared to be wearing a ring on her left hand. 2 2 And during an appearance on the Anything Goes podcast with James English, her dad Pete confirmed that she had indeed tied the knot. He said: "Ever since the fight there with Katie, people are seeing the two of us back together, even some of the s*** you hear about that. "I was reading somewhere that Katie Taylor never got married because of her father, he wouldn't let her. "Katie's married, you know, and I'm thinking, 'where are you getting this s*** from?'" Dad and daughter reunited to work together in the lead-up to the 39-year-old's sensational trilogy win over Amanda Serrano on July 11. Pete had coached her during her amateur career, peaking with her winning an Olympic gold medal in London in 2012. However, they parted ways after Pete split from Katie's mum Bridget. Taylor controversially lost her title at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and turned pro later that year, and has been trained by Ross Enamait ever since. In an exclusive interview with the Irish Sun a week on from her victory over the Puerto Rican, Pete sought to dispel preconceptions concerning their relationship. He said: "We posted online that we were training together, but we were still very close. I was still over visiting her. "This is a media thing that me and Katie got back together for the fight. It's not true. "We've always been close, and we've been talking for the last five or six years. It was just that I didn't get involved in the training. "We were always talking boxing. That's just natural. When I call over to her, we go to the gym together. "She just asked me to help out in this camp, and that was it - but it wasn't that we rekindled this relationship. "We were close all the time. "People love these stories. I think they must have boring lives or something, because they're so interested in other people's lives. "I don't post anything about my own personal life on Instagram. Katie's the same, and then, when we put it up, you could say it went viral. "We've always been close. I was actually shocked that it went so viral, to tell you the truth."
