French defender Benjamin Mendy, accused of eight counts of rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, appeared on Wednesday on the first day of a trial that is set to last more than three months in Chester, northwest England.

The 28-year-old defender, whose contract with Manchester City has been suspended, is accused of seven women, while he denies the 10 charges in relation to incidents that allegedly occurred between October 2018 and August 2021 at his home in Prestbury, near Manchester.

Mendy appeared relaxed upon arriving at the courthouse, sitting in the dock in a blue suit, speaking in English to confirm his identity, with an interpreter at his side.

Mindy is being tried alongside another man, Luis Saha Matori, who also sat in the courtroom. He is accused of 8 rapes and 4 sexual assaults against 8 women between July 2012 and August 2021, and he pleaded not guilty.

The trial was scheduled to start on July 25, but it was postponed for two weeks, and the sessions will last 15 weeks, and the first days will be devoted to selecting jurors and organizing sessions, before returning next week to the crux of the matter, and the penalty if convicted of all charges may reach imprisonment. perpetuity.

The player crowned with the French national team in the 2018 World Cup spent more than 4 months in pretrial prison before his release last January, and was placed under judicial supervision pending trial, and he is required to stay at his home and not contact the victims with complaints about which he is being pursued, or communicate With witnesses included in the case.

Mendy has not played a football match since his last appearance for Manchester City on August 15, 2021.