Paul Pogba shares an image of a laughing Benjamin Mendy as Jack Grealish and Rio Ferdinand appear to agree with Instagram posts vindicating the Man City star after he is cleared of raping a woman in a £4m mansion .
Paul Pogba has shown his support for Benjamin Mendy after the former Manchester City defender was cleared of rape and attempted rape on Friday.
Mendy was acquitted after three hours of deliberation by a jury at Chester Crown Court, later collapsing in the dock before saying he was “delighted” with the not guilty verdicts.
He cried as he walked out of court after the verdicts, but later that day he was all smiles when he spoke to Pogba on facetime after his name was cleared.
The pair evidently share a close relationship after representing the France national team together and winning the World Cup in 2018 as part of Didier Deschamps’ team.
Pogba celebrated with Mendy as he raised a fist in the air and laughed on camera as his friend smiled as they called from separate cars.
Benjamin Mendy was found not guilty on one count of rape and one count of attempted rape on Friday.
Paul Pogba (bottom right) celebrated with the former Manchester City defender on a phone call, later posting a screenshot of the pair on Instagram to celebrate their freedom.
He cried as he walked out of court Friday afternoon after being cleared of all charges against him.
Former Manchester United midfielder Pogba posted a screenshot of the video exchange and began his update with the same word Mendy said to reporters off the pitch, Al Hamdullilah.
The 30-year-old Juventus star expressed his joy for his compatriot and also explained that he was looking forward to seeing Mendy return to the pitch playing football.
Mendy’s last professional appearance was in August 2021 and he is now a free agent after his contract with the Premier League champions expired at the end of June.
Pogba stated online: ‘Al Hamdullilah. So happy for you bro…all the people who were talking bad about you now i want to see them clearing your name. I can’t wait to see you on the field again.
Pogba (right) and Mendy (left) share a close relationship after playing together for France
‘Alhamdulillah’ is an Arabic phrase meaning: ‘Praise be to God’ and was used as both Pogba and Mendy are of the Islamic faith.
Former Barcelona star Samuel Umtiti showed his support for Mendy by taking part in Pogba’s post and commenting on three separate heart emojis.
The post has so far received over half a million likes on Instagram as more stars continued to break their previous silence while the trial was ongoing.
Mendy has now been acquitted of eight rapes, one attempted rape and one sexual assault against seven women after two trials.
There were more online messages of support for Mendy, as Memphis Depay also posted a statement online after the hearing.
Depay, also a former Man United player, criticized the handling of the situation and also called on football bodies to help Mendy restart his career after his contract with Man City expired.
Memphis Depay released a lengthy statement asking for support for Mendy after her court victory
Other players and former players like Jack Grealish and Rio Ferdinand agreed with Depay
His damning post received agreement from City and England star Jack Grealish and Rio Ferdinand as they offered their thoughts on the situation.
Depay posted alongside a single image of Mendy: ‘Let’s talk about it! All cases dismissed. So what are we doing now?
‘Who is going to help this brother to heal? Who is going to be responsible for damages on his behalf? How is he going to get his career back? Many years of investment to become a professional footballer…. Now what!?
I’ve never touched on this topic because I didn’t know all the details, but I did FaceTime him once while he was behind bars and confronted him on the field a couple of times. I did not see any evil in man. We cannot accept this happening to us as athletes…’ he added.
‘Who will defend us in the moment of need, not when the damage is done? Do not turn your head people ..! Who is defending the athletes? Where are the big corporations when we need them?
Depay (pictured) wants football corps to help Mendy get her career back on track
‘Let’s all pray for Benjamin to recover his mental health, his physical and spiritual strength!’
Grealish is a huge presence in the City locker room and responded to Depay commenting on the post: ‘So true bro’ along with three clapping emojis and a heart.
Ferdinand similarly posted: “Loud and clear” in the comments with a clapping emoji on either side.
Fulham midfielder Andreas Pereira added: “Right,” while Real Madrid and former Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger added three nods of applause in a show of respect for Depay.
