Visionhaus/Getty ImagesSoccer player Benjamin Mendy has been suspended from his team Manchester City after being charged with four counts of rape and one count of sexual assault.
The English football club announced the suspension in a statement on Aug. 26. "Manchester City can confirm that following his being charged by police today, Benjamin Mendy has been suspended pending an investigation," it read. "The matter is subject to a legal process and the Club is therefore unable to make further comment until that process is complete."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) authorized the Cheshire Constabulary to charge Mendy with these counts earlier in the day. "The offences are alleged to have taken place in Cheshire between October 2020 and August 2021," the organizations stated on their respective websites, "and relate to three complainants over the age of 16."
The 27-year-old athlete was taken into police custody, they added, and is set to appear in Chester Magistrates' Court on Aug. 27.
"Cheshire Constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service would like to remind everyone that criminal proceedings against Mendy are active and that he has a right to a fair trial," The CPS and Cheshire Constabulary continued. "It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings."
Mendy is a defender for Manchester City. He joined the team in 2017, signing a five-year deal, and has won three Premier League titles with the club, including the one in May.
E! News has reached out to Mendy's sports agency for comment but has yet to hear back.