MANCHESTER, England — A judge has determined that former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy is eligible to receive the majority of his claim amounting to 11 million pounds (approximately $14.15 million) regarding unauthorized deductions from his salary by the club.

Mendy brought his case against City to an employment tribunal, alleging that the club improperly withheld his wages after he was charged with sex offenses and subsequently remanded in custody in August 2021.

After a six-month trial, Mendy was acquitted by a jury of six charges, including six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault involving four young women or girls. However, the jury could not reach a verdict on two charges, leading to a retrial, during which he was found not guilty.

Mendy maintained his innocence throughout the legal proceedings, asserting that the events in question were consensual.

On Wednesday, tribunal judge Joanne Dunlop ruled that while Manchester City was justified in withholding Mendy’s wages during the periods he was imprisoned due to breaching his bail conditions, he retained the right to the pay during other times.

When not incarcerated, Mendy was unable to fulfill his contractual obligations primarily because he was suspended by the Football Association (FA). The judge noted that this FA suspension was of a precautionary nature and did not stem from any misconduct allegations.

Judge Dunlop concluded that the FA suspension acted as a barrier to Mendy completing his contractual duties to train and play for the club, marking it as an “involuntary” situation for the player. Furthermore, she highlighted that his bail conditions were impacted by the suspension and also constituted involuntary obstacles.

As a result, the club did not have the authority to withhold his financial compensation, as there was no clause in his contract that allowed wages to be withheld in cases of FA suspension and/or bail restrictions preventing him from participating in games.

Manchester City had not responded immediately to the tribunal’s decision.

The specific total that Mendy is owed still needs to be negotiated between his legal team and the club, according to reports.