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Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy has denied nine sexual offences against six young women.
The 27-year-old stood in the dock at Chester Crown Court where he entered pleas for the first time and repeated: “Not guilty.”
The French international has denied seven counts of rape, one count of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape – all relating to six complainants.
All the offences are said to have taken place at the defender’s home address between October 2018 and August last year.
The Manchester City footballer denies all charges of sexual assault
Mendy entered his pleas during a hearing on Monday ahead of his trial, which is due to begin later this year.
He will stand before a jury on 25 July along with his co-defendant Louis Saha Matturie, 40, who has also entered not guilty pleas to all charges.
Matturie, from Eccles, Salford, denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault, relating to eight young women, with the alleged offences taking place between July 2012 and August last year.
Louis Saha Matturie denies eight counts of rape and four counts of sexual assault
The hearing went into a private session with the press excluded from the courtroom after both defendants entered their pleas.
They were both given bail in January after being in custody since they were first arrested on 28 August 2020.
Mendy joined Manchester City in 2017 from Monaco for a reported £52m and was suspended by the club in August.
He has also made 10 appearances for the France national team, including 40 minutes in the 2018 World Cup as France won the tournament.
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